


Loyalty; Vanity and Immortality

by ariakara



Series: The Riddle Named Tom [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 1940s, Avery Family, Azkaban, Betrayal, Blood supremacy, Canon Compliant, Cheating, Daddy Issues, Dark Magic, Death, Death Eaters, Dementors, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Family History, Friendship, Fucked Up, Hate, Heir of Slytherin, Hogwarts, Immortality, Legilimency (Harry Potter), Lestrange Family, Love, Love Triangles, Loyalty, Magical Pregnancy, Malfoy Family, Manipulative Tom Riddle, Marriage, Mommy Issues, Obsession, Occlumency (Harry Potter), Original Character(s), Poor Life Choices, Potions, Prophecy, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Rosier Family - Freeform, Sacrifice, Seduction, Slow Burn, Spells & Enchantments, The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Young Tom Riddle, dark lady - Freeform, facade - Freeform, heiress of slytherin, history repeats itself, horcrux, mature content, relationship, spells, the Rise of Lord Voldemort, tom is kind at first, toxic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:22:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 53,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28693899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariakara/pseuds/ariakara
Summary: [Tom Marvolo Riddle x Original Female Character]In which the Slytherin Princess discovers the true nature of the Slytherin Prince...W a r n i n g: The story will contain mature themes and viewers' discretion is advised. It deals with issues like toxic relationships, unhealthy and racist views, bad body images, sexual content, (mild)graphic descriptions of violence.The relationship between the characters takes many chapters to develop into a romantic one. Enjoy xx
Relationships: Tom Riddle/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Riddle Named Tom [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2115864
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. teacher's pet

" **N O** evil dooms us hopelessly except the devil we **love** and **desire** to continue in and make no effort to **escape** from,"

\- George Elliot (Mary Ann Evans)

***

She was standing silently, her small hands curled into clenched fists and her eyes looking in front of her without any emotion, a rather bizarre sight for an eleven-year-old. She resisted the urge to huff at the little boy's excitement to be sorted into Hufflepuff. In his place, she would drink poison to avoid being sorted into such a lowly house. For her, it was either Slytherin or nothing.

She knew that her name would be heard soon and she could already imagine everyone looking at her, whispering to each other. Although this was a behavior she came across quite often, she still couldn't get used to it. Her mother had told her to ignore them as what others said and thought wouldn't matter once she would be into the house her ancestors had been sorted at.

Little Aurora had blinked a few times surprised and asked Salome Volant how she was so sure she wouldn't end up at Ravenclaw or any other house.

" _Don't be absurd daughter_ ," she had scoffed, fixing her hair in the mirror, "y _ou are a combination of a Volant and a Malfoy. It will be against the rules should the hat put you anywhere else,_ " she looked at her child as if she was a silly little bug. Then she had walked out of the room without sparing her a single glance and told the house-elf to make tea, leaving behind a very worried Aurora.

Is that what she was? A combination? Her mother spoke of her as if she were some kind of potion and not an actual person.

From that day, for months, she couldn't eat or sleep properly, anxious at the possibility of what would happen if she wasn't sorted into Slytherin. She shivered at the thought. She would rather die than bring that type of humiliation to her family and its name.

"Volant, Aurora!" a short, wrinkled professor said loudly and Aurora took a deep breath. She stepped forward and as expected everyone's eyes were fixed on her. She sat on the chair, looking at both the woman and the hat with hostility, and her eyes locked with her cousin's. As the old woman placed the hat on top of her head, Abraxas Malfoy, who was already sitting by Slytherin's table, gave her an encouraging smile. She didn't have the strength to return it.

 _Please put me in Slytherin,_ she thought desperately and her fingers grabbed the edges of the chair.

"Hmmm, a Volant..." the hat trailed off thoughtfully. "There's both light and darkness within you and you will be a great witch one day. Slytherin? You would do wonders at Ravenclaw as well," it suggested and she cast the Ravenclaw table a brief look. They were all looking at her with dislike clear in their eyes.

 _Slytherin, Slytherin_ , she repeated and bit her lower lip.

"Ah, fine. Since you insist... SLYTHERIN!" It yelled and the relief that washed over her was so overwhelming she felt empty and dizzy at the same time. She stood up, her legs slightly trembling, and walked over to her house's table. There, everyone was clapping and cheering for her loudly and for the first time after months, she genuinely smiled. Abraxas jumped off his seat and grabbed her wrist, smiling.

"I had no doubt you'd be here Rori," he said cheerfully and they took a seat.

Yes, now she could properly breathe again.

She engaged in a conversation with her cousin's friends whom she already knew as they had been brought up together. Ares Lestrange, Sebastian Avery, and Elroy Rosier were yet another group of wealthy, elitist, and most importantly pureblood sons of families that her mother and father were fond of.

As the boys started talking about Quidditch, she knew she could no longer pretend to be interested and her eyes fell on the few students left that hadn't been sorted in a house. Her eyes caught the sight of a tall, skinny boy with dark hair and pale skin. What made an impression on her was the fact that his face was just like hers a while ago. Lips curved up into a hostile scowl and eyes devoid of any emotion. Sympathy washed over her. _He's probably as nervous as I was,_ she thought and tried to remember if she had seen him anywhere.

"Riddle, Tom!" the woman said, and surprised she saw him walk towards her. Riddle? Was he a muggle-born? Not even a second after the hat was put on his head the hat yelled:

"SLYTHERIN!" Just like the rest of the people sitting by the table, she clapped her hands but she couldn't help the sting of jealousy that crept inside her. She had been sitting there for what it seemed to be eons and the hat had simply sorted her here because she had been too adamant about it. She was a descendant of one of the most famous pureblood families and the hat was hesitant but not for a muggle-born?

Masking the instant annoyance with a smile, she made room for him to sit next to her.

Tom seeing that hesitantly sat next to her, looking down on his knees.

"Hi, I am Aurora," she said with a kind voice and he turned his head in her direction. He looked at her with no trace of interest in his eyes. His lips were pursed in a tight line and his hair was neatly combed.

"I heard so," he replied, leaving no room for further conversation. Abraxas cast her a mocking look and she rolled her eyes in his direction.

"Is Slytherin where you wanted to end up? Obviously, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor are simply awful to even consider..." she trailed off and a few students sitting by the Gryffindor table who heard her, glared at her. She ignored them, not bothering to return the glare.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but I suppose my father was in Slytherin as well," he replied flatly.

"Oh," she nodded, not knowing what else to say. They stopped talking, and the last students were sorted into Houses. After that, Headmaster Dippet welcomed the new students and warned everyone not to go into the Forbidden Forest. Ares and Abraxas laughed at that; Aurora could already imagine all the detentions they would receive.

"Do enjoy the feast and once again, welcome to Hogwarts!" He finished his speech with platters of food and jugs filled with juice magically appearing in front of them.

Aurora took a jug in her hands and poured some of the juice into her cup. After that, she turned to Tom, who was eyeing a platter with roasted potatoes.

"Pumpkin juice?" she asked him and before he could reply she poured him some.

***

"Here, let me pour you some juice, Tom," the sixteen-year-old Aurora said with a sigh but Tom didn't bother to look at her. He had buried his nose into the book of potions for the past half an hour and he was getting on her nerves. After placing the jug on the table, she looked at him hesitantly.

His tie was loose and his hair was messily falling in front of his forehead in dark curls. His lips were pursed in a tight line like they did whenever he was angry or lost in his thoughts. The Perfect badge was shining on his chest, just like it did on hers.

She swiftly tried to snatch the book he was holding, but as if expecting her attack, in the speed of the light, he put it away and caught both of her wrists with one hand. He looked at her annoyed, onyx eyes boring into forest green ones. He raised an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes trying to break free from him.

"It is polite to thank the person that offers you something," she replied mumbling and he let go of her, a sudden chuckle escaping from his lips. She looked at him and as always she was surprised at how fast his threatening looks changed whenever he smiled.

He rolled his eyes and looked at her amused. "Is that so?" he asked her. "Then I apologize milady, for the juice in my cup poured by your hands serves as the elixir of my soul," he said dramatically, placing his hand on his chest. Aurora burst out laughing and nudged him on his ribs.

"Oh, shut up," she said returning to her plate. He looked at her intensely for a few seconds before taking the book he was previously reading in his hands and trying hard to keep a smirk from forming.

"Why are you so immersed in the book anyway? It's not like you don't know more than Slughorn already," she said, spreading butter on her toast. He placed the book down, again, and sighed.

"Repetition is the mother of knowledge. It's a muggle saying," he told her, in a know-it-all's voice and she looked at him annoyed. How did he never run out of comebacks?

He looked back at her, now smirking. She looked away, suddenly uncomfortable. Whenever he looked at her, she felt something weird twisting in her stomach, a feeling she didn't like at all.

"Besides, I don't know everything that Slughorn knows," he said, suddenly his smirk falling and his eyes turning to the book serious.

"Oh," she mumbled and continued with her breakfast.

"Good morning darling," a voice said from behind and he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek gently. She didn't have to turn her head to see from whom it had come; she could recognize Elroy's voice everywhere.

He sat on the other side and Aurora blushed slightly. "Good morning Elroy," she said and looked at her boyfriend with a smile. But their sweet moment didn't last too long.

"Rosier," Tom suddenly barked and the young boy looked at him with eyes that held both intimidation and annoyance. "Meet me after the classes are over," he snapped and abruptly stood up, grabbing his books. He stopped to fix his tie and passed his fingers through his hair, in an attempt to comb them and when he was sure he looked flawless, he resumed walking out of the door. Aurora, who had watched the exchange between her boyfriend and her best friend confused, turned to Elroy.

"Is... everything alright between you two?" she asked him. He looked at her for a moment before proceeding to take a bite from his toast.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Of course, why wouldn't it be?"

She bit her lower lip thoughtfully. "I mean, your interaction didn't seem friendly to me," she said.

"Is there something you two are hiding from me?" she asked him, making him stop eating. He dabbed a napkin on his lips and flashed her a reassuring smile. He reached for her hand and his thumb gently caressed her knuckles.

"It's a small boy feud love. Nothing to stress yourself about," he told her, sunrays making his hazel eyes even more hypnotic than usual. She nodded, smiling. Tom was friends with Elroy and friends get into arguments from time to time.

Of course, there was nothing to worry about. She wanted to laugh at herself. What could they possibly hide from her? Just the thought was ridiculous.

They resumed with their breakfast and after a while, the rest of the boys joined them. 

Students from the Gryffindor table shot glares to both Abraxas Malfoy and Sebastian Avery, and Ares Lestrange was winking at a girl from the Ravenclaw table. They sat in front of the couple, their eyes scanning the food.

"How come you never offer us anything to drink?" Abraxas complained as his fork dug into his scrambled eggs. "Is that a privilege only reserved for L- Riddle?" She saw Sebastian and Ares giving him a weird look but she ignored them. Elroy shifted in his seat uncomfortably and she wished she could sew his mouth.

"Don't be nosy Abraxas. I have been doing that since the first year," she snapped at him, her tone resembling Tom's greatly.

Before he could say anything else, she kissed Elroy's cheek and left the Great Hall. She knew she had some time before the potions class would start and so she decided to take the longest route to the dungeons. As she was lost in her thoughts, she didn't see a student that was walking backward.

She bumped into her and Aurora's eyes snapped on her. _A muggle-born Ravenclaw_ , she thought and her eyes narrowed.

"Watch it, kid," she said curtly.

The 'kid'- a short girl with pimples and thick glasses- looked at her intimidated. Her eyes filled with tears and Aurora's lips curled up disgusted. She walked past her and wondered why it was that the school's policy forbade them from hexing annoying students. For instance, Myrtle Warren. Not few were the circumstances when she'd heard her crying pathetically in the bathroom. If she wanted to fix her appearance she could well use magic and not act like a muggle.

 _That's why only purebloods and half-bloods should be allowed at Hogwarts,_ she thought with disdain.

She rolled her eyes and descended the stairs leading to the dungeons. The classroom's door was ajar and she heard Slughorn talking. She almost huffed. Of course and Tom would already be in class. She knocked on the door and walked in, the professor's eyes lightening upon seeing her.

"Ah, Aurora my child, come in!" he said and she smiled kindly.

"Good morning professor," she said in the quiet voice she used around professors. She strolled off to Tom's direction, placing her things on the counter they shared.

"I was just telling Tom how happy I was that I have such brilliant students like you two surrounding me," he said and she looked down blushing.

"Please, sir. I am not half as good as you're trying to make me sound," she said and her breath hitched when she felt Tom's arm around her shoulders.

"She is way too modest sir but I know she can brew any potion with her eyes closed," he said, sweetness dripping from his voice. She looked up and saw Slughorn chuckling as he nodded his head.

"Exactly my boy. But you're not far from that either," he said. Aurora gently moved and he dropped his hand, taking the hint.

"Thank you, sir," he replied politely and turned his head to her. She felt his gaze on her but decided to ignore him. Instead, she fixed her eyes on the older man.

"What will we be discussing today professor?" she asked him. As if on cue, the doors opened and students walked in. Slughorn cast both of them a smile and walked towards the center of the class. When everyone had taken their seats, he cleared his throat and put his hands behind his back.

"Today, miss Volant and students, we will be discussing a potion called, _Weedosoros_. Does anyone have any idea what it is?" he asked them and before he could finish his sentence, Aurora and Tom had raised their hands. Slughorn raised an eyebrow amused and sighed.

"Hmm, I say we let the lady go first, right Mr. Riddle?" he said and Aurora face formed a satisfied smirk.

"Of course, sir," he said, never losing his polite voice, but she knew better. Despite being best friends, inside the classroom, they were the greatest rivals.

"Weedosoros is a highly poisonous potion that causes convulsion and other unpleasant bodily side effects. The basic ingredients of the potion are aconite, fire seed, iguana blood, vervain, and plimpsy eye," she said, giving Tom a brief mocking glance to which he clenched his jaw.

"Exactly miss Volant! Ten points to Slytherin," he said and turned to the rest of the students.

"Is modesty what gets you the grades?" he whispered, his hand taking notes from the professor's lecture. He didn't miss a word from what he said and even though he wrote quickly, his writing seemed neat and calligraphic, something with which she had been struggling.

She huffed quietly. "Is being a teacher's pet that gets you your grades?" she fired back and his lips sealed in a tight line.

"I am as much a teacher's pet as you are Aurora. Besides, it's not me that bought the antique hourglass over there," he said, his chin pointing to the green hourglass with the serpentine details. She felt irritation rush through her and her fingers cut through the parchment paper she was holding.

"Being rich has its perks but you wouldn't know," she hissed and instantly regretted it.

She looked at him to apologize but Tom's eyes were hard and they burned with something she couldn't decipher. _Hatred_ , she suddenly realized and bit her lower lip. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" 

He cut her off, by walking away to get the ingredients needed. She wanted to slap herself for the slippery.

She knew that Tom, living in an orphanage, wasn't nearly as wealthy as she or their friends were but she didn't mind of course. He never took advantage of her status and Tom was the only person she wouldn't mind even if he were muggle-born. But that didn't mean that his lack of wealth wasn't a weak spot and she had acted like a bitch.

He returned, placing the ingredients with much more force than needed, ignoring her like she wasn't there. "Tom," she whispered, "I am really sorry. I don't know what got into-"

"Chop the aconite," he snapped, not bothering to glance at her way. She looked around and saw that Elroy and Abraxas were looking at both curiously.

She turned around and started chopping the plant, casting Tom side glances every now and then.

His jaw was clenched and his eyes had taken an even darker shade than their usual black. He was working on the iguana blood, his long fingers swiftly draining the blood from the serpent and then pouring it into the cauldron.

She suppressed a sigh and continued with what she was doing. She knew she had to leave him alone for a little while to calm down and approach him later. But they rarely ever fought and she would rather polish the room with the prizes than have him not talk to her.

They brewed the potion in silence and received another ten points as it was perfect. When the class was over, he walked out quickly, not even saying goodbye to his favorite professor. Aurora stayed back and the boys approached her.

Elroy wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and Aurora reminded of Tom doing the exact same gesture, jerked away. Then she apologized.

"What happened? I could swear that Riddle wanted to hex you on spot," Ares said and she sighed.

"I-umm, we were slightly arguing and then I said something I shouldn't have," she said as they walked out of the classroom.

The four boys raised their eyebrows in unison. "What could you have possibly said to anger him? " Abraxas rolled his eyes and chuckled. But Aurora didn't want to tell them as if it reached Tom's ears he would be even madder.

"Elroy," she said instead, "do you mind if we sit together in History of Magic?" He nodded.

"Of course and not. Good luck to the rest," he added with a sly grin, making his girlfriend smack him lightly in the arm. The three boys subtly exchanged scared looks, starting an argument as to who will sit next to Tom.

"Don't speak as if he will torture them El," she complained and he kissed her forehead.

"Of course and not darling. I am just messing with them," he said and they all walked towards the next class.


	2. defense against the dark arts

If there was one class Aurora absolutely loved attending, was Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Ironically enough, it was the only subject in which she always received the lowest grade since her first year, being the few of the students that were the worst at it. This left everyone surprised as she had been known to be the cleverest witch in her year but her professors were relieved, to say the least.

It meant that the young Volant hadn't taken an interest in the dark arts and she was neither talented enough for it, bringing hope to redeem the Volant family name that had been so badly tainted by the actions of her father, Francis.

But truth be told, Aurora had been putting a perfect act for nearly six years, successfully bewitching everyone and deluding them into thinking that she was an innocent victim of her father's wrongdoings, with interests far from anything related to dark magic.

A phrase that professors usually used when talking about her was that " _children shouldn't be paying for their parent's actions_ " and it usually brought a sinister smile to her face.

Whenever everyone was asleep, she tended to carefully slip out from the Slytherin's chambers and using her invisibility cloak she went to the restricted section of Hogwart's library, pulling all-nighters in reading about dark magic. She wasn't a fool; Aurora had no intention of making use of it on anyone as her father had stupidly done. But since she couldn't properly practice it during the lesson, like the rest of her classmates, her only resort was to read about it as much as she could.

Besides, in the books, she could find far more exciting and interesting spells and potions than she would ever be taught by Merrythought or Slughorn.

She was usually paired with Margot Droope who happened to be even worse than her. However today the professor seemed to be in a different mood.

"Today, students, we will be practicing on nonverbal spells. Now, I will split you into groups of two and I want you to try your best to challenge each other." Merrythought cast everyone a careful gaze, her eyes warning them, behind the thin glasses, not to do anything she wouldn't approve of, and then she took out a scroll with the names.

"Mr. Avery and Mr. Black," The two boys exchanged sly smirks with each other, moving towards a corner of the room.

As Merrythought continued with pairing students, Aurora's eyes fell on Tom. He was standing a few meters away, his eyes serious and his head turned towards the direction of Jasmine Parkinson, who was talking to him with a smile tugging on her lips. He replied in a quiet voice and she couldn't quite hear the subject they were discussing. As she suppressed a sigh, his eyes suddenly snapped on her, making her almost choke on her saliva.

His expression was hard, his lips curling down slightly in a scowl but she decided not to look away. She returned the look, maintaining a neutral gaze, her fingers grasping her wand with strength as if he would attack her.

" Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley," the professor went on and the two boys looked at each other with hatred and disgust.

" _Blood_ _traitor_ ," Abraxas whispered with revulsion.

" _Malfoy_ ," the red-haired boy said back insinuating that his last name was far greater an insult than any other word.

"Quiet!" the old woman exclaimed and sighed.

At that moment she realized that her name hadn't been called out. As she was about to speak, Merrythought raised her head and looked at her, her eyes going back and forth between her and someone else.

"And lastly, Mr. Riddle and Miss Volant, I want you two to duel. I know," she said turning to her, "that Mr. Riddle has very advanced skills but I was hoping that he would help you out. Right?" she turned to Tom, who dropped his threatening look in the blink of an eye and nodded smiling politely.

"Of course professor," he said, his voice saccharine and Aurora mentally cringed. Out of everyone, she was the last person to be fooled by his sweet demeanor since she knew him so well. And sometimes even she wasn't sure that she knew Tom well.

He turned and looked at her with a raised eyebrow, a smile curling up on his lips that didn't meet his eyes. She took a few steps forward and they stood in the middle of the room.

"Now that you are all paired up, I want to make a few things clear; None of you shall use any kind of cursing or hexing. I merely want to put your knowledge of theory into practice, so start with easy spells. Did I make myself clear Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy?" her voice snapped at the two boys that were on the verge of poking each other's eyes with their wands. Upon hearing her, they stepped back, but their eyes never lost the hostile look in them.

"Start," she said and Aurora lifted her eyes to Tom.

"I am going to make you regret offending me Aurora," he hissed as they bowed at each other. She lifted her gaze, looking him straight into the dark abyss of his eyes and a slight smirk appeared on her face.

Maybe for once, she could drop the facade of the untalented witch.

"I apologized for what I said Tom. However, I'd like to see you try making me regret," she hissed back and he clenched his jaw, taking up the challenge.

They took a few steps back and they raised their wands.

" _Alarte Ascendare_ ," she thought and she waited to see Tom's body shoot high in the air. But he successfully shielded himself and she saw red sparks coming in her direction. Using a defensive spell, she protected herself, sending back the sparks, and seconds later producing a silver thin line, as she tried to make his wand fly out of his hand.

He smirked at her, and with horror, she saw a chair flying in her direction. She widened her eyes and thought " _Flipendo_ ," sending it back to him. Swiftly he avoided it, making her groan in frustration. He seemed impossible to defeat unless she used a curse.

And even then, she was sure he would avoid it with agility.

"You have been sending back whatever I do," he laughed. "Be more original will you?" he taunted her and at that moment as she realized that maybe her father had his reasons for hexing people. Irritation flowing in her blood, she shot him a glare and tried to petrify him.

" _Petricus_ _Totalus_ ," she thought, and a white smoke covered Tom, making him fall on the floor.

She huffed, smiling, and not believing that he had been this easy to defeat. His eyes were wide and she walked towards him. As she looked down to put her wand into her robes, he suddenly raised from the floor and he took out his wand in the blink of an eye.

In seconds, before she had the chance to react, she felt something sharp hit the back of her head and an immense pain spread through her body, starting from her brain. She fell on her knees, everything looking blurry, and looked up to see him smirking pleased. He kneeled down next to her and raised his hand to touch her hair.

"Pity," he said whispering and she narrowed her eyes with disdain.

"I told you something too," she hissed and closed her eyes. Gaining the remaining of her strength she tried to focus and with shaky hands, she grabbed her wand.

" _Sectusempra_ ," she thought and opened them.

Tom, unexpecting the attack collapsed, his wand falling from his hands and blood gushing out from his chest. The last thing she heard before succumbing to darkness herself was the screams of professor Merrythought and the gasps leaving the student's mouths.

xxx.

She woke up gasping for air.

The first thing she saw was the white ceiling of the hospital wing. She turned her head to see Headmaster Dippet, Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Merrythought looking at her with furrowed eyebrows. She bit her lower lip as the memories of what had happened slowly resurfaced.

"W- How's Tom?" she croaked out, her throat feeling dry. She looked around and saw that he was nowhere to be seen. She tried to sit on the bed and Merrythought helped her do so.

"Mr. Riddle left the hospital wing before you woke up Miss Volant," Dumbledore spoke, his voice steady and carrying the ancient wisdom it usually did, "it's quite the miracle considering you almost sent him to his deathbed," he continued and she looked away, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

_You idiot, you destroyed everything for a monetary whim_ , she scolded herself.

"I-I..." she trailed off not knowing what to say. "I am sorry," she whispered.

"It's not us to whom you should apologize but Mr. Riddle," the headmaster said with a sigh. "But I still don't understand, how could you know such a lethal curse, my child?" his eyes were filled with disappointment, a look Aurora hated.

It reminded her of her mother's look on her whenever she had failed to do anything she had assigned her with.

"I-I read about it in a book," she decided to say half of the truth. "I only read the name of the curse, not even the whole description. I had never imagined that- that I could k-kill with it," she sobbed and Dippets gaze softened.

She felt a momentary headache and it didn't take her long to realize what was going on.

That sly fox, Dumbledore, was trying to invade her thoughts. At times like these, she couldn't help but feel thankful for her father's lessons about occlumency during her pre-school years.

She filled her head with thoughts regarding Tom, blood, and feelings of deep regret.

"I am sorry p-professors Merrythought," she looked at the woman through her tears. "I- I didn't follow your rules and hexed a friend of mine. I am willing to endure any kind of detention," she said, choking on her words.

Alarmed, Merrythought grabbed a glass of water from the nightstand next to Aurora's bed and gave it to her. Aurora gulped a few sips of water and wiped the tears from her eyes.

The woman sighed and shook her head. "Of course and you will receive punishment Miss Volant, as what you did is unspeakable!" her tone raised in octaves and she looked down once again, hanging her head in shame.

"However," she said, "just like you, Mr. Riddle used an equally dangerous hex that would make you comatose hadn't you been rushed into the hospital wing," she said frustrated. "The headmaster won't expel either of you but you shall both get detention," she said strictly and Aurora nodded.

Her relief couldn't be expressed in words. She couldn't even bring herself to imagine her mother's reaction to her expulsion.

"This behavior mustn't be repeated ever again," Dippet said and she nodded once again.

"That goes without saying, sir. Once again, I deeply apologize for the trouble I have caused. And thank you for not expelling me," she said quietly, gratitude filling her eyes and voice.

The two nodded but Dumbledore didn't seem convinced even after entering her thoughts. And she could see the doubt in his light-colored eyes.

"You will receive details of the punishment later, along with Tom. Now rest my child," Dippet said and after giving her a soft smile, he dragged the other man with him, engaging in a conversation about something else.

As Merrythought was about to walk out of the door, she stopped and turned around to face her.

"I had always thought that you were lacking in my lesson, Aurora. But your performance today showed that if anything, I lacked in understanding you," she said, her eyes weighing her.

Aurora looked her in the eye and her expression changed. "If you noticed our duel professor, I could barely defend myself against Tom. It was the momentary burst of emotions that allowed me to perform such a spell," she said, carefully choosing her words. "Besides, I wasn't exactly aware of the extent of harm it could cause. I merely thought I would scratch him."

Merrythought processed what she had said and nodded hesitantly. "Indeed, that's what I thought as well. But should you feel such a _burst of emotions again_ , in the future, make sure to put it into good use. And also, from now on read until the end whatever spell you come across to make sure you won't accidentally kill someone," she said, and before Aurora could react, with a last nod, she had walked out of the door.

When she was left all alone, she fell on the bed and a sigh of relief escaped her lips. She had convinced more or less all three, although Dumbledore and Merrythought seemed more suspicious. But since Dippet had forgiven her, she had nothing to worry about.

Tom was alright but he was also probably even more furious than he was at potions class. She buried her hands in her face and groaned. She would rather face Salome Volant's wrath than Tom Riddle's.

_Out of all the spells I could have used, I used the one my father invented,_ she thought and wanted to slap her forehead for her stupidity. But she had said the truth when she said that she had no idea what was the spell used for. Francis had simply mentioned that it was a hex used for giving your opponent scratches.

As the nurse checked on her, she adjusted herself on the bed and turned around. The door opened and Elroy and Abraxas walked in. The woman shot them a glare.

"Ten minutes,'" she barked before leaving them.

Elroy rushed to her side and his hands stroked her cheek as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Are you alright?" he whispered and she nodded.

"Yeah, I am fine, don't worry," she reassured him.

"I am speechless," Abraxas chuckled as he sat on the bed next to her. "We all watched as Riddle's face went from smirking to looking like he was dyin-"

"Abraxas!" Elroy cut him off, looking at him sternly.

"It's fine, let him speak," Aurora sighed as he entwined their hands together.

" _As I was saying_ ," Abraxas rolled his eyes, "Riddle looked like he was on the verge of dying. A pool of blood formed and no one knew what to do because they had no idea what spell you had used," he went on.

"Then how did they heal him?" she asked.

"Slughorn brought a blood replenishing potion and Merrythought tried healing him on her own before the nurse did," Elroy answered and she bit her lip.

"Didn't they use the tracking spell on my wand?" she asked them with a raised eyebrow.

Both boys shrugged their shoulders. "Snakewood isn't the easiest type of wand to control," Elroy answered and she nodded.

"How is he?" she asked, fearing the answer.

"Livid," they said at the same time. "You hurt his ego when you turned him into a dying cat in front of the whole class," Abraxas continued, a small chuckle escaping from his lips.

"How is this funny to you- nevermind," Aurora rolled her eyes and sat on the bed. "Where is he?" she asked. She was expecting him waiting under her bed to attack her whenever she would be left alone.

"With Lestrange and Avery, they are having dinner in the Great Hall. Here," he said, taking out a pie wrapped in paper. "I told a kitchen elf to make this for you since you don't like hospital food," Elroy said, making her chuckle. She took it and thanked him.

"Time's over, let her rest," the nurse snapped, appearing out of nowhere and casting Elroy a glare. He gave her a charming smile and kissed Aurora one last time, ignoring Abraxas's groans.

"We'll come later as well," he murmured.

"Rest and prepare for your death," the blond boy taunted her, making her laugh faintly.

They left and Aurora looked at the pie without appetite. Then she forced herself to take a bite of the delicious food, not wanting to think about the dark-eyed boy anymore.

xxx

When the nurse let her go it was around nine o'clock. She was informed that for the day, she didn't have to attend her perfect duties and so she wandered around the castle praying not to see him. She knew that Tom went to bed at around midnight and so she decided to kill the remaining time in the library. Casting an invisibility spell on herself, she easily slipped into the restricted section.

"Lumos," she whispered and the wand's end produced a faint light. Her eyes scanned the covers of the books in front of her. She had read most of the books during the last years but there were still a few she hadn't had the chance to get a hold of.

" _Secrets of the darkest art_ ," one said and her lips parted with interest upon seeing the purple book. She took it in her hands and her fingers traced it. She paged it to the first page and her eyes scanned the paper with the chapters mentioned.

"What are you doing?" a familiar voice snapped her out of her thoughts and instinctively she put the book behind her. She looked up and saw no one in the darkness.

"T- Tom?" she whispered and confirming her suspicion, he stepped out of the shadow, wearing his dark robes and his wand in his hand pointed at her.

"That's my name," he said sarcastically. "But I asked you something."

He looked perfectly healthy and she felt relieved despite being told that he was alright.

"I could ask you the same," she said. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

He smirked. "The same goes for you," he retorted and she sighed frustrated. Why was arguing with him always so mentally draining?

"I was at the hospital wing," she said, lifting her chin.

"And I was checking for students that were out of their bed," he said. "Students like you," he walked closer to her.

Instinctively, she took a step back, her back hitting the shelf of the library. "I am also a perfect in case you forgot," she scoffed and he chuckled.

"But you are excused from your duties for today. You thought that I wouldn't hear?" he mocked her and she huffed. She looked him in the eyes, maintaining eye contact, as her fingers placed the book behind her, putting other books on top of it.

"And why aren't you excused? I thought you were injured as well," she said and he closed his eyes annoyed.

"Slughorn said I could continue with my duties since I felt alright. Thanks to you of course," he said sarcastically, his icy tone making her shiver slightly.

"Look Tom-," she sighed. "I know you are _a little annoyed_ with me but you brought it upon yourself. Let's be honest," she said, sounding as calm and brave as she could, and watched as his eyes rolled his jaw clenching.

While she had always been sure that he wouldn't hurt her, now she didn't have the same confidence.

He took a step forward and pressed his wand against the flesh of her neck. A hitched gasp left her lips when the wood touched her and his fingers grabbed her chin, making her look at him.

" _So I brought it upon myself_?" he hissed, leaning down and Aurora could feel her pulse quickening. She nodded, not trusting her voice not to break if she talked and he laughed.

He stepped back, lowering his wand and she watched him confused. "I must say I am quite impressed Rori," he said, using the nickname he rarely called her with. "It is not easy to fool Dumbledore, being such a skilled legilimens he is," he said and raised an eyebrow waiting for a response from her.

She shrugged her shoulders and slid down, sitting on the floor.

"Then I am lucky to be an equally skilled occlumens," she said and he nodded. "But how do -"

"We all have our secret talents Aurora," he said leaning above her, his arm resting on the shelf. He looked down on her and smiled. "And from what I have discovered so far, you are nearly not as bad as you present yourself to be in dark arts class. Far from it actually. And now occlumency? You are fascinating darling," he said laughing at the last part.

Aurora gulped and narrowed her eyes. "I don't understand what are you getting at. I thought you would be sending unforgivable curses in my direction but we are discussing my hidden talents?" she exclaimed.

He shook his head. "You see, I was furious at you but... now I am not," he said simply, giving her an innocent look.

She blinked a few times, processing what he had said. "You... are...not?" she said, furrowing her eyebrows.

Tom sighed and put the wand in the pocket of his robes. He kneeled next to her and took her hand in his. She looked at him, her lips parting in confusion.

"Darling," he whispered and her stomach twisted. "you are my closest friend and we had an argument. But what do friends do after they fight? They make up," he said, and a sincere smile appeared on his face. "I don't like fighting with you, do you?" he asked her.

Aurora thought for a moment. "Of course and not but I almost killed you-"

"Shh..." he hushed her and suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. His arms wrapped around her waist and she reluctantly put hers around his shoulders. "As you said, I brought it upon myself. Besides, I wasn't far from killing you either, and for that, I apologize," he said gently and they pulled away.

They looked at each other intensely before the corners of her lips tugged up in a smile. "So, you don't hate me?" she asked in a hushed voice.

He shook his head and cupped her cheeks. "You are the last person I would ever hate," he said reassuringly. She looked into his eyes, searching into the depth of his soul, wondering if he was being truthful. Something inside her told her he was being absolutely sincere.

She decided to trust her gut feeling.

She nodded smiling and suddenly she realized their proximity. She cleared her throat and stood up, tucking her hair behind her ear. He stood up a second later and extended his arm.

"Shall we head back to the chambers, _friend_?" he asked her and she laughed accepting his offer.

Much later, when they had both gone to sleep, Tom laid down on his bed with a sly smile forming on his face.

If he followed his plan, soon enough this foolish girl would hand him over something of a great value. He tried to calculate how long it would take him and he passed his fingers through his hair, closing his eyes satisfied.


	3. guilty secrets

"What are your Christmas plans?" Aurora dipped her pen in the ink and looked up from her parchment. 

It was yet another day that they passed in the library, studying and chatting, a few weeks after the incident. Tom seemed to have forgotten it had happened at all and she was beyond relieved. Surprisingly enough, neither Merrythought nor Dippet had informed them about their punishment and frankly, she couldn't even remember that they were supposed to receive a detention. 

Tom stiffened for a moment and stopped writing. He then raised his eyes from his book and smiled. "I won't be staying at Hogwarts if that's your question," he said quietly, looking around and making sure no one heard him. But there were not many students in the library and those present, wouldn't dare glance at his way.

Aurora shook her head and sighed. "N- well, yes," she admitted. "I was wondering if you'd spend the last week at my house as usual. Mom's hosting a New Year's Eve _masquerade_ _ball_ " she rolled her eyes, "and I would love it if you came," she said in a tired voice and he laughed.

"Of course and I will. I just have to take care of a matter first," he told her and returned to the Arithmancy essay.

She studied his side profile for a few moments; his eyebrows were furrowed, as they were whenever he was thinking about something and his lips were sealed in a tight line. Dark hair was messily falling on his face but he didn't seem to mind; that or he had grown accustomed to the fact that they wouldn't obey him unless he used magic. His tie was loose as he didn't feel the need to be strict with his attire after classes and his jaw was clenched. He was really a sight for sore eyes. Sensing that someone was watching him, he snapped his eyes on her and she raised an eyebrow.

"Do you mind if I ask what kind of matter?" she asked and leaned back on the chair. She would continue with the essay after they would return to their chambers; usually the later it was in the night, the more inspiration did she have to write.

He seemed to think for a moment. "I think I tracked down some relatives. Distant relatives," he added and a smile spread across her face.

"But that's wonderful news, Tom! Why didn't you tell me earlier?" she asked and before Tom could reply, Jasmine Parkinson approached them. 

If there was one girl that made it to the top of her list amongst all the people she absolutely disliked, it was her. She couldn't exactly define what was it that repulsed Aurora about her but deep down she was mature enough to admit that she was a tad jealous of her. Well, much more than just _a tad_. And she hated feeling inferior to others.

She was indeed a very beautiful girl, having inherited her grandmother's hazel-green eyes and shiny ebony colored hair that was fashionably cut to reach her collarbones. Jasmine's olive complexion made Aurora look like a ghost and the smile that was always tugged on her lips radiated a seductive aura that she couldn't master to save her life. The skirt she was wearing, although it was just above the knees like the rest of the female student's, it clung to her body, giving a hint of the curves hiding underneath them. Despite being at the same age, Jasmine looked at least twenty and she looked like a skinny thirteen-year-old schoolgirl.

"Tom darling," she greeted him and he returned the greeting politely, his eyes glistering with satisfaction.

Aurora shifted uncomfortably in her seat and started gathering her things. She didn't plan on staying another second and witness her best friend being seduced by Hogwart's Slytherin seductress for the hundredth time. 

"How are you darling? Haven't seen you in days," she purred and he leaned back on his seat, a smirk forming on his face. Aurora stood up and his eyes fixed on her.

"Leaving?" he asked her and she put on her robes.

"I am supposed to meet with Elroy. He said earlier that he had something important to tell me," she lied smoothly and his smirk faltered slightly.

"See you later then?" Jasmine looked down annoyed but she knew she couldn't say a word. That skinny bitch was Tom's close friend and she knew that he didn't take it well when someone offended her.

"We'll see," she replied smiling. "Fancy seeing you Parkinson," she said with a saccharine voice and the girl looked up with her eyes narrowed.

"Likewise," she said in a voice that wouldn't convince anyone. Aurora shrugged her shoulders and turned around on her heels. 

***

"You will come and stay next week right?" she murmured against his lips, her arms wrapped around his neck. His was wrapped around her waist and his hot palm rested against her thigh.

Elroy pressed his lips on the corner of her mouth and nodded. "Of course. My mother told me that Salome will be hosting a masquerade ball on new year's eve. I wouldn't miss it for the world," he promised and she smiled.

The boys had left them for a few minutes to buy beverages and sweets and as usual, Elroy had wasted no time in scooping her into his lap. Despite her protests that someone may see them, she responded to his touch reluctantly but with passion. Just then the door opened and while Abraxas groaned and covered his eyes, the two other boys whistled. Embarrassed, she climbed from his lap and sat next to him, fixing her hair and avoiding eye contact.

"Three minutes. We went out for three bloody minutes Rosier and Rori," the young Malfoy complained and opened a bottle of cream soda. 

" _Please_ ," Elroy rolled his eyes. "Don't pretend that you are any better with Nott's little sister," he said and Sebastian laughed along with Ares.

"Nina? You went for Nina Nott?" Aurora scoffed. "Isn't she in the third year you old creep?" she narrowed her eyes at the blond who sighed exasperatedly.

"For everyone's information, she is in the _fifth_ ," he said emphasizing the word," year and I am sixteen. Besides, it's different. You don't ever see me shagging her at every chance whereas I-"

"You what?" Suddenly the door opened and Tom walked in, cutting Abraxas little monologue. As if someone clicked a button, everyone straightened their backs and Aurora could almost touch the palpable nervousness that was in the atmosphere. He sat next to Ares, right opposite to her and his eyes fixed on her, despite the question being directed to her cousin.

"I-well. I was complaining about their frequent display of affection in front of me," he murmured and a pregnant silence followed his words. 

She couldn't understand why they were always so tense around Tom and so, unaffected by his presence, she huffed. 

"And El made a fair point about Nin-"

"No, he is right," he said, his voice serious and she blinked a few times surprised. He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see any reason why we should be in an uncomfortable position because Rosier can't keep his hands to himself. Or you," he said and she felt irritation rush through her, just like it did at Potions class.

"Excuse me?" she asked in disbelief. 

"You heard me. Pass me a bottle Lestrange," he said dismissing her but she wasn't done talking.

"Why do you care what I do with my boyfriend? You are not my family member," she said, her eyes narrowing annoyed.

Tom shot her a stern look and for a moment she thought that his eyes were red.

"I thought friends are family?" he asked sarcastically and she clenched her fists.

He parted his lips to say something further but she cut him off.

"Besides, you have never heard me complain about you and Jasmine, have you? And oh boy, if she _shows affection_ " she said ignoring his smartass comment. Avery raised an eyebrow surprised, just like the rest of the boys and looked at Tom.

If looks could kill, Aurora would have been reduced into ashes and probably thrown out of Hogwarts express's window. 

"As in Parkinson?" Sebastian made the mistake of asking, and his furious glance fell on him. 

"I don't recall giving you permission to speak Avery," he snapped and the boy looked away, hanging his head apologetically. 

Aurora, who was watching the exchange between her friends in disbelief, had to close her eyes for a few moments to process what she had just heard and make sure she hadn't misheard. She turned her head to look at each and one of the people inside the train compartment and coughed. 

" _Permission to speak_? Tom, what the hell?" she choked out and turned her body towards the direction of her friend. "Who are you to grant them-"

"I meant, it's not his business to talk about what I do," he snapped at her and she huffed.

"No, you didn't mean that. I am not an idiot Riddle," she fired back in the same tone and she felt Elroy's hand on her back. She momentarily glanced at him, before turning her head in his direction.

"You sure act like one at the moment," he told her curtly and she would swear that his hand moved towards the direction of his wand. 

Elroy must have noticed the movement as well. "Quit it, Riddle. I won't tolerate you attacking my girlfriend regardless of your friendship," he hissed and his hand moved towards his wand as well. 

Abraxas, Sebastian, and Ares stopped breathing; if he wanted so desperately to die why not just throw himself from the astronomy tower or drink the Malevolent Mixture? It would be less painful.

Tom raised his eyebrow mockingly and a half-smile tugged on his lips. " _You won't tolerate_?" he repeated sarcastically and crossed his legs.

"Your sense of humor has definitely improved Rosier," he said, almost spitting out his last name. His pupils dilated and Aurora couldn't tell the difference between them and his iris. His jaw was clenched but his hands were not and instead, with a swift move, he took out his wand. His fingers traced the yew wood slowly, the silence preceding his words heavy and filled with tension. 

Aurora was speechless; she had no idea what to say, how to act, or even what to think. This wasn't the Tom she was accustomed to.

He finally looked up, his eyes locked with Elroy's, and his lips sealed in a tight line. Before he could speak, a girl from Ravenclaw opened the door and informed him and Aurora that they should head to the prefect's compartment. Then she left.

With a shiver going down her spine, she stood up and grabbed her robe and wand. Her hands were slightly trembling as she put them on.

"It will be interesting to see what you can actually _tolerate_ Rosier," he said, standing up. His face had regained its usual smirk but his eyes looked hollow and... and threatening, she realized. Elroy gulped but his hands kept gripping his wand with strength. Tom looked briefly at Aurora and walked out without waiting for her.

She instantly turned to them.

"What the hell was that? And don't tell me that everything's alright Elroy. This is more than just a boy feud," she snapped, as her eyes examined each and every face of the boys. They exchanged a look, a look she couldn't decipher but which apparently meant much more than she knew. "And don't lie to me," she added.

"It-it's not our place to tell you, Rori," Ares said and she let out a frustrated breath.

"Then whose place is it?" she asked but she already knew the answer.

"Tom's," they said in unison and she shook her head.

"I don't care. Something's wrong with our friend group for a while now, but none of you are willing to tell me what. And don't act as if you don't know how secretive Tom is. There's no way he will tell me. This brings me back to my original question actually; what the hell happened?" she asked but they remained silent.

She looked at Elroy but he gave her an apologetic look. Abraxas avoided eye contact and the other two seemed strangely preoccupied, reading the ingredients of the soda. 

"Fine," she said in the end and walked towards the exit. "I will be finding out anyway and for the record," she turned around to face them, "all of you not telling me, is just adding up to my suspicions." She started walking away, but someone grabbed her by the wrist.

"Aurora, love-" he started saying but she cut him off.

She looked into his eyes, the very same eyes that had stirred butterflies in her stomach countless times. They were looking at her now filled with guilt and apology but she wanted neither. She wanted the truth.

"Don't forget to buy a mask for the ball," she told him and turned on her heels, walking away. 

Inside the perfect's compartment, girls and boys from all four houses were sitting, chatting, and reading.

As expected, the only empty seat was next to Tom who seemed to be having a pleasant conversation with Ravenclaw's perfect, Anna Clearwater. His face was relaxed, not a single clue giving away the fact that he had indirectly threatened someone a few minutes before. She made her presence known, loudly shutting the door with as much force as she could muster, and sat as far as she could from him.

He made no comment on that- he didn't even look at her- and she considered hexing him again. She wasn't sure if there was a nurse on the train and no one would ever know what kind of hex she had used.

"Volant," Anna suddenly spoke to her, "how will you be spending your Christmas break?" she asked her and Aurora looked at her coldly.

"Like I always do; visiting my mother," she said curtly, putting her off from further questioning. She could barely stand people from other houses and especially when they were pretending that they were polite and caring, like Anna.

Yes, pretentiousness was something she couldn't stand; maybe because she was herself tired of pretending.

The other witch nodded and turned to Tom. He was a Slytherin as well, but Aurora was always acting like a bitch whereas he was one of the most charming boys she had ever met. 

When they finished checking the students and making sure they were alright, Aurora decided to go and sit with Slytherin's Heads but Tom had other plans. He grabbed her by the wrist and, after making sure no one had seen them, she dragged her into an empty compartment and closed the door behind him. She crossed her arms and looked at him questioningly.

"Once again Tom; what the hell?" she asked him and he sighed.

"You should really mind the language you are using," he told her and she huffed.

"First, I should mind what I do with Elroy and now my language?" she snapped and he rolled his eyes. "Maybe you should tell me what and when to eat as well," she added sarcastically.

"I swear one of these days I'll snap and hex you," he murmured as he sat down and she placed her palms against her hips in vexation. "Sit down," he told her. "Not there, here," he said, pointing to the empty space next to him. She ignored him and took a seat opposite to him. 

"Have it your way," he said, and instead he changed seats. His musky smell filled her nostrils and for a moment she relaxed. 

She cast him a side glance and saw that he put his wand away. Then, he took her hand in his. She tried to free it but his grip was strong. She looked at him in the eye and his expression faltered.

"Aurora," he breathed. "You know I never lie to you," he said softly but she shook his head.

"Something's going on but no one tells me what. Isn't that considered lying, Tom?" she said, keeping her voice straight.

He momentarily closed his eyes. "No. No one's lying to you darling. We are all simply protecting you," he said and she looked away.

"Protecting from what exactly?" she inquired, feeling that she would actually start sending curses his way if he didn't give her a proper answer.

"What's the point if I tell you?" he said and she groaned. For a few moments, no one spoke.

"I don't need your protection," she said finally and her eyes bored into his. "Y-you threatened me, a-and Elroy. You told Sebastian that he shouldn't speak unless-"

"You misunderstood. I- I don't like discussing my personal life, irrespective of whom it is. I thought you already knew that" he told her and she reluctantly nodded, her face slightly softening.

"Alright, let's say that's the case for that. What about-"

"Again you misunderstood," he cut her off and her eyebrows furrowed. He looked down and his tongue quickly passed over his lower lip. He leaned in closer and her throat suddenly felt too dry. Her pulse quickened and knowing that he could feel that from pressing his fingers against her wrist, he finally freed her hand. 

"I misunderstood?" she whispered.

He nodded and raised his head. She couldn't read his facial expression. "We will soon arrive at the station. After that, I won't be seeing you for a week and your house isn't the right place to tell you. Because I have to show you in order for you to understand. Although I think this is too soon..." he trailed off and as he spoke, the sentences he uttered were barely audible, as if he were talking to himself. Aurora looked at him more puzzled than before.

"I don't-"

"You will. I swear," he told her, and their eyes locked. "Just give me the right moment to do so," he added. Her lips parted slightly and with hesitation, she nodded.

"Alright, but Elroy-"

"Nothing will happen to Rosier, for Merlin's sake," he said, rolling his eyes and she relaxed. 

Of course and nothing would happen to him. They were nothing but a bunch of sixteen-year-olds.

"Okay, but I want to know as soon as possible," she said, with a firm voice and he nodded.

A smirk curled up, on his lips. "I never break my promises, haven't you learned that much during our friendship?" 

Aurora looked away and a faint laugh escaped from her lips. 

Yes, Tom Riddle was -if anything- a dependable person. A confusing one but nevertheless dependable.


	4. 100 galleons

Aurora looked at her face in the mirror and sighed with disappointment.

She hadn't slept a wink the previous night and it was showing. Her dark circles were prominent under her eyes and her skin was even paler than usual. She could barely spot the difference between her and Ravenclaw's Grey Lady.

She felt as if she had no strength whatsoever -both physical and mental- but she knew that couldn't avoid today even if she were sent to St. Mungo's. Suppressing a groan, she slowly stood up and walked towards her wardrobe. She chose to wear dark attire to match the occasion- a black midi dress and black matching shoes. Annoyed that she couldn't use magic outside of Hogwarts yet, she gave up on her hair and made a quick low bun.

With hesitation, she pulled the doorknob and walked downstairs. 

The portraits of her ancestors watched her and whispered as she descended the grand staircase but she couldn't care about them at the moment. She walked into the breakfast room and the first thing her eyes registered was the ridiculously long table on which platters of food were placed, and elves were hurriedly walking around and adding more of the food. Her mother was sitting at the head of the table, her back straight and her eyes skimming through the newspaper, with a filled plate in front of her that she hadn't touched. 

She sat on her left and Qissy, the House-Elf that had practically raised her, rushed to put a few buttered toasts on her plate along with strawberry jam. She gave her a faint smile, to which Qissy almost squealed. At that moment, Salome Volant averted her eyes from the paper and looked at her daughter, as usual, with dissatisfaction. 

Salome Volant was a beautiful woman, to say the least. Her warm blonde hair was always styled to perfection, either in an elegant chignon or falling freely above her collarbones. Her slim body maintained the grace and the finesse and her face was free of any wrinkles. She barely looked a day over thirty and not a few were the times they mistook her as her older sister. However, despite the glorious smiles she flashed at social gatherings, they never matched the rest of her face and Aurora could swear that her mother had the coldest pair of eyes she had ever seen on anyone. 

"We aren't going to a funeral dear. I see no reason why you should wear black when it makes you look like a ghost," were the first words she uttered. 

"Good morning to you too, mother," Aurora said in a quiet voice, trying to suppress the sarcasm, and took a bite from her toast. Salome closed her eyes and put the newspaper away annoyed. 

"Qissy!" Her voice was annoyed as she called the elf. A second later, the tiny elf appeared in front of them, her huge nectarine colored eyes filled with anxiety.

"Yes, mistress," it croaked out and looked down worried. Aurora sympathized with it for a second- she knew perfectly well how stressful it was to live with her mother. 

"For as long as Aurora will be staying, only prepare fruit porridge for her. No more _buttery_ _things_ ," she spat out the last two words with disgust. "Have I made myself clear?" she shot the elf a glare and raised an eyebrow. The poor creature nodded and looked at her younger mistress with sad eyes before it left for the kitchen.

"I am capable of choosing what to eat and what not mother," Aurora put down her toast and looked at her mother, already feeling exhausted.

Salome huffed and brought a cup of tea to her lips. "I watched you walking in here and your calves looked comparatively bulkier than they were before you left for Hogwarts. So, as your mother, it's my responsibility to make sure my daughter doesn't end up looking like that obnoxious Prewett woman," she scoffed.

Aurora, who was taking another bite, lost the last bit of appetite she had and placed the warm bread on her plate with trembling hands. She leaned back on her seat and tried to act as if Salome hadn't spoken at all.

Why couldn't she have a normal conversation with her mother for once? 

"It-it's dad's trial and all you can think about is... how my legs look?" the question rolled off her tongue before she could control her mouth.

Salome let out a sarcastic laugh and rolled her eyes. "It's final for Francis. We both know that he will be sentenced for life," she said and her tone was as indifferent as if she were talking about a stranger and not her own husband.

Her daughter looked at her in disbelief, but frankly, she wasn't surprised. Things that stirred a genuine reaction out of her mother could be counted on the fingers of her one hand and apparently, her father's fate wasn't among them. On the other hand, how they both looked, what Aurora ate, how they both dressed, how many social gatherings she attended, and the number of pureblood males interested in Aurora (or even herself), were her priorities.

"You are unbelievable," she muttered and looked away.

Salome pretended not to hear her; instead, she stood up and walked towards her. A subtle scent of vanilla hit her and her first reaction was to turn her nose away. She went behind Aurora's chair and with a flick of the wand, her hair was freed from the pins. She then placed her wand on the table and remade the bun herself. Aurora tried not to flinch as her mother's fingers twisted her hair with dexterity.

"You will come to learn that in life you should have priorities child," she said. "You will be graduating in a year and you are old enough to understand this; He may be your father, but to me, he is merely the man I was arranged to marry," she continued and her voice became cold.

"You, on the other hand, are my daughter and everything that has to do with you is my concern. Even on Francis's trial day. Do you understand?" She asked her and. Aurora lowered her head and nodded. But the truth was, she still couldn't understand. 

"Alright then, go back to your room and change. Also, add some color to your face too while you are at it. Reporters may be waiting outside of the Ministry and I don't want you to look like a gloomy ghost," she said and she was the first to walk away from the breakfast room, leaving her behind.

Aurora looked down at her dress and her eyes fell on her reflection on the window. Without further thinking, she stood up and almost ran towards her bedroom, her legs and hands trembling. She opened a box, hidden in the drawer of her nightstand and took out a small potion bottle. She brought it to her lips and took a few sips of the Calming Draught. She knew that it would start kicking in soon. 

But before that, a few tears fell from her eyes as she picked a blue dress from her wardrobe.

She could barely wait until she could go back to Hogwarts.

***

The last time Aurora had visited the British Ministry of Magic, was when she was eleven years old, a few months before she went to school. Not much had changed in the last few years except for her. Pacing behind her mother, she walked into Wizengamot. The man sitting in the highest position was old and wrinkled, with trimmed white hair and thick-framed glasses. Next to him, on each side, two younger men were seated. And with them, dozens of people, all dressed in black robes surrounded the cage in which her father was.

Upon seeing him, she stopped walking. Francis Volant, prior to his imprisonment, was a tall man, with thick dark hair and sharp green eyes. He walked around with the confidence that steamed from his wealth and glorious ancestors; he had always been obsessed with lineage.

But now, looking at him, Aurora could barely recognize that proud man that once was such a big part of her life. He looked as if he had shrunk in size, his back hunched and his hair longer and messier. He was wearing old rags, ripped at places and he looked as if he hadn't showered in a long time. But what had made her freeze were his eyes; those eyes didn't belong to anyone else but a madman, someone that would kill without hesitation and would laugh at that. Someone she couldn't recognize, no matter how long she looked at him.

Francis was looking nowhere in particular but as if he had heard their footsteps, he turned his head towards the direction of his wife and daughter. He seemed to completely ignore Salome but upon seeing Aurora, he looked at her with recognition and interest. 

Salome's mouth twitched slightly in displease but looked away quickly and took her seat. With her heart pounding and feeling that the Calming Draught's effects were wearing off, Aurora sat next to her. 

"There isn't much to say," the old man said and everyone instantly hushed. "Jean-Francis Volant Snr you are accused of torturing and killing four muggle-borns between the years of 1936 and 1937. Your wife, Salome Volant, prior to her marriage Malfoy, has denied any involvement with your work and has requested a divorce. Which she will be granted until February of 1944." he stated with a monotonic voice and Francis laughed.

"I bet this self-obsessed bitch can't wait until then," he said looking at Salome's direction and laughed once again.

Salome winced but kept her gaze straight, her face apathetic. 

"Silence!" the man said with an authoritative voice and continued reading the scroll. "For your crimes, you are sentenced to dementor's kiss on July the 31st of the following year. That will be all," he said and stood up. With him, everyone did the same. 

Francis's face fell and he grabbed the bars of his cage. "Wait! I want to talk to them, in private," he croaked out and a few people laughed. The man looked at him, a slight hint of mockery visible in his eyes, and shook his head.

"That's a wish you will be granted before you receive your sentence," he said and before Aurora could process what was going on, her mother grabbed her by her wrist and dragged her out of the courtroom. As they walked away, she could hear her father's loud talking that turned into screaming. She looked at her mother, whose lips curled into a scowl. She let her drag her for she felt that she couldn't walk properly. They stopped at some point, and she leaned against a wall.

"Mom..." she trailed off, her voice coming out in a hushed whisper.

"Nothing, nothing happened. He will get what he deserves for his crimes and that's what you should think as well. Do you understand me?" she snapped at her but her daughter had barely heard her.

"He-he didn't look like dad," she said. "What did they d-do to him?" 

Salome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "He was in Azkaban, Aurora, did you think he was staying at an expensive inn?"

Aurora looked up and huffed. "For Merlin's sake, can you at least pretend that you care?" she finally snapped and pinched the bridge of her nose. She sighed, her hands slightly trembling. Her mother opened her mouth to reply but she cut her off.

"I know-I know that he is a criminal mother. I have been hearing nothing but that behind my back for the last five years. But h-he's still my father and if that's too difficult for you to und-" she cut her sentence midway. Looking at her, she knew it would make no difference whatsoever. She took a few steps forward and straightened her dress.

"Where are you going?" Salome asked her, her lips sealing in a straight line.

"I don't know. For a walk. I will be back before evening," she said, tiredly and walked away. She wanted to get out of the Ministry right now and a walk around Diagon Alley seemed a good choice.

Knowing her mother would shiver at her action, she bought an ice-cream sundae from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. It was cold and the winter breeze gave her goosebumps but she didn't care. For once, after a long week at her house, she had done something she wanted without being under her mother's watchful eye. She adjusted her coat closer to her body and shoved the last piece of the ice-cream cone into her mouth, in a manner no proper lady would approve of. But etiquette was the last thing on her mind.

She looked around and saw a light coming from a tiny shop that looked as if it was forcibly built between two buildings. _Borgin and Burkes_ , she read and instantly remembered why the name sounded so familiar. Abraxas and Ares had bought a few things from there, objects that were immediately sequestrated from Hogwart's caretaker. Curious, she opened the door and walked in. She looked around and almost let out a scream when a man with dark greasy hair stepped out of nowhere. 

"May I help you miss?" he asked in a polite voice and she sighed.

"I-I'll look around, in case I see something interesting," she said and the man smiled. 

"May I ask of your name?" _He wants to know whether or not I am worthy of his time_ , she thought.

"I apologize for my rudeness. I am Aurora Volant sir," she said, putting on a fake smile, and his eyes slightly widened.

Now, this was a client that was worth his time.

"No, miss. I apologize for not recognizing you. Please, look as much as you want," he said, in a saccharine voice and walked backward, returning to the counter. Aurora rolled her eyes and her fingers traced the object in front of her.

"I wouldn't touch that in your place miss Volant. The hand of glory is a useful tool for thieves and I presume you are no thief," he said cheerfully and she bit her lower lip awkwardly. 

"Of course and not," she whispered and walked away. After a few minutes, she felt disappointed not to have come across something interesting. As she was about to leave, her eyes fell on something shiny, hidden away in a corner. She looked at the man (he was deeply immersed in writing something) and she approached the shining object.

She took it in her hands and saw that in fact, it was a golden locket-necklace in an oval shape with a huge _S_ curved on it in green color. _Tom would love this_ , she thought and her fingers gently caressed the hard exterior. The S could stand for Superior, Smart, or even Slytherin, all those characterizations that would make him happy. She couldn't have found a better gift for him even if she had searched for days. 

She strolled off towards the counter and placed it in front of the man. He instantly lifted his head and looked at the necklace. 

"Interesting choice, miss Volant..." he trailed off. "Unfortunately the locket is not up for sale," he told her.

She blinked a few times, taken aback. "But then why did you put it in a place that's within reach?" she asked him confused. His lips sealed into a tight line, and it didn't take her a lot of time to understand. He wanted to sell it for as a high price as he could.

"Look, sir, you must know my cousin and his friend. Abraxas Malfoy and Ares Lestrange?" she suggested and his eyes lit up with recognition.

"Why of course, Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Lestrange come often to my shop," he mused and she nodded.

"Exactly, you know how we-trade," she said, unable to think of any other word. " You can simply tell me the price, there's no need for us to waste more time than needed," she said, in a soft voice, full of confidence.

The man barked as a laugh and shook his head. "Very well then. 100 galleons. You can either accept that or put the locket in its place," he said, watching her amused.

She sighed and her hands dug the contents of her handbag. When she found whatever it was that she was looking for, she pulled out a leather pouch and placed it on the counter. The man, took it in his hands, with eyes filled with doubt, and turned it upside down. Golden coins fell from it. He counted them.

They were exactly a hundred galleons.

Satisfied, Aurora smirked and grabbed the locket. Then she left the shop without another word.

Much later in the evening, an owl arrived for her.

_Aurora,_

_I apologize for not sending you a letter throughout the week. It has been quite...interesting, to say the least. I will tell you more about it tomorrow._

_Send my most sincere and kindest regards to your mother._

_See you soon,_

_Tom M. Riddle_

Finally, she had something to look forward to.


	5. Little Hangleton

It was silly, but Tom Riddle could vividly remember the first time he had killed.

It was way before Dumbledore came to visit him. He was nine at the time, and the owners of the orphanage had decided to take the kids on a field trip.

As always, he was alone, sitting on a rock, far away from the rest of the group, and trying to set a few seaweeds on fire. He had recently learned that he could move things or set them on fire by simply thinking about it. But his solitude didn't last long as Billy Stubbs -a large, and no-necked boy with freckles- and Eric Whalley -a short obnoxious boy with a tendency to throw kicks- sneaked up on him from behind.

Upon seeing him, they started laughing at him, mocking him for his weird habits, and Billy even threw him into the ice-cold water.

They got reprimanded by Mrs. Cole of course, but Tom decided not to say anything. For almost a week, he was tied to the bed due to pneumonia and throughout this time, he made up a detailed revenge plan to get his blood back. 

That stupid Billy had an annoying pet dog that he seemed to be very attached to as it belonged to his parents before they passed away. It was the only thing left from them and Tom knew he loved Cooper very much.

So, when everyone had fallen asleep, he stood up and quietly went downstairs. The dog was kept in a special tiny house in the garden and it didn't take him too long to lure it outside. Grabbing a sharp rock that he had discovered during the day and stored it away, he stabbed it multiple times on the neck and heart. As it was dying and squirmed in his hands he felt adrenaline rush through his veins. And for the first time in a long time, he smiled with satisfaction.

After the animal had passed away, he looked at his clothes to make sure he had not stained them with blood. Then, he went outside of room 34 and placed the tiny corpse on the ground. For the dramatics, he decided it would be a nice touch to take out its eyes and leave them besides the dog. After that, he went back to his room and slept as if nothing had happened.

Billy's screams were what woke him up the next day.

Still, under the bedsheets, he briefly laughed and turned around.

The boy had accused Tom of Cooper's death but he had no proof whatsoever and so he was marked innocent. No one but Billy had seen Tom smirking at him devilishly behind Mrs. Cole's back and the boy refused to be near him for a long time.

For Eric, Tom had spent less time.

While he traumatized Billy psychologically, Tom decided to make sure that Eric would never kick anyone ever again.

The boy had the tendency to climb trees and sit on them. A week later after the incident with Cooper, Tom watched him from his window and muttered something under his breath. He had noticed that whenever he said the specific words, things fell from their original position.

And just like that, Eric fell from the tree, and soon after, everyone in the orphanage learned that he had been left paralyzed from his waist down.

However, Tom knew that murdering people would require a lot more detailed plotting.

For a week, prior to his birthday, he had stayed in an inn in Yorkshire (his stay paid by Lestrange), and from distance, he observed the movements of Morfin Gaunt and the Riddle family. He had to admit to himself that the supposedly glorious family of wizards was disappointing, drowning in filth and poverty. The exact opposite could be said about his father's side of the family. Their manor was grand and he was sure he could pick up a lot of valuable things after he'd be done with them. 

He looked down at his watch. A few more minutes and he would officially be seventeen. 

As the clock struck midnight, he put on his coat and walked out of the inn, towards the small hut down the road. He stopped for a moment before going in and his lips twitched in disgust upon seeing where Salazar Slytherin's descendants lived. 

_Well, not for too long_ , he thought and opened the door without much effort. 

The smell of dirt, dust, and mold hit him but he ignored it. He heard a noise coming from his left and he turned around. Soon, he was looking straight into the eyes of his uncle, Morfin Gaunt. He could barely see his eyes and mouth as long, thick, and dirty hair and mustache were covering his face. His clothes were old and ragged, too thin for a winter day like this.

Upon seeing him, his maternal uncle let out a howl and reached for his wand. 

" _Accio wand_ ," Tom whispered and it flew right into his left hand.

"Who are you?" he hissed and tried to stand up. "You look like that muggle."

"That muggle?" Tom asked even though he knew exactly to whom he was referring.

"That Muggle what my sister took a fancy to, that Muggle what lives in the big house over the way. You look right like him. Riddle. But he’s older now, in ‘e? He’s older’n you, now I think on it... He come back, see." he said, his squint eyes looking him up and down.

" _I see_ ," Tom replied, deciding to speak in Parseltongue and the older man looked at him confused for a moment. 

" _You speak-_ "

" _I am your nephew_ ," he cut him off, saying the word disgusted. Morfin laughed.

" _Ah, you are no family to me, you filthy half-blood!"_ he spat out the words _. "That stupid sister of mine dishonored us when she left us for that muggle. That little slut. But then he left her_ ," he said chuckling, making Tom's jaw clench. 

" _He left her?_ " he asked furrowing his eyebrows. He wasn't aware of that. Morfin laughed again.

" _What else did you expect? She was brewing love potions all day long, in secret. She was foolish enough to believe that since she got knocked up and married him, he would stay_ ," he continued and licked his lips with his tongue. " _She died soon after_. _Serves her right for marrying filth_!" he smiled, showing off his rotten teeth, and right then the younger boy snapped.

" _Incarcerous_ ," Tom hissed and watched as Morfins hands and body got tied up. He struggled to free himself but to no avail. 

He walked closer to him and lowered his body to his height. He put his wand against his neck and a red flash passed by his eyes.

" _I am the heir of Salazar Slytherin_ ," he said, his wand poking his larynx. " _Watch your tone_ ," he threatened and his eyes fell on Morfin's fingers.

Seeing that, Morfin tried to hide his hand but tied up as he was, he couldn't do much. Tom grabbed his hand and saw a thick golden ring set with a black stone that had a carved symbol on it. It wasn't the prettiest of jewelry he had seen but something inside him told him that there was much more into the ring than he understood. He forcibly took it and shook his head.

" _I believe this belongs to me now,_ " he said coldly, still speaking in Parseltongue, and stood up. With a flicker of his wand, he petrified him, and taking Morfin's wand with him, he walked out of the hut.

Across the valley, there was a large mansion, probably centuries years old built with dark bricks. Moss had overgrown on the walls and only a few rooms seemed to have the light on. He went inside from the backdoor, and wandered around, trying to find where the three people he had observed over the course of the week were. He found them shortly after.

Two elderly people and a younger man were sitting on the armchairs in one of the grand living rooms, dressed as if they had to attend a formal gathering. The man, who Tom speculated to be his father, looked like what he would probably look like in a few decades. Even though he was sitting, he could tell that he was tall, keeping a well-reserved silhouette -unlike his grandfather. His hair was dark like his, but with a hint of grey around the temples. His face structure was sharp, his eyes dark like his son's but with a much more mature look. Like Thomas Riddle, Tom Riddle Snr also carried multiple, heavy rings.

Their eyes snapped on the youngest boy and surprise along with confusion passed through them.

"Greetings, dear family," Tom said in a mocking saccharine tone and waltzed inside the room. The two elderly people shifted in their seats and Tom Riddle Snr stood up. Father and son were at the same height and their eyes met briefly. 

"Who the hell are you and what are you-"

"Now, that's not a proper way to greet your son, _father_. Is it?" he cut him off and smirked. He sat opposite to the three, with confidence, and crossed his legs.

"Father? Who-"

"He does look like you, Tom," Marry Riddle suddenly spoke, her grey eyes observing him. Then she turned to her son. "Why didn't you tell us that you had a child with that strumpet?" her voice was curt and her eyes were narrowed. Her fingers mechanically adjusted the hem of her dress. Thomas Riddle huffed and looked at his son with eyes shooting fire.

Tom's mouth twitched upon hearing the word _strumpet_ , and his fingers traced his wand. 

Tom Riddle Snr raised his hands in the air. "I heard she died after a few months. How could I have imagined that this bastard lived?" he exclaimed.

" _Bastard_?" The youngest Tom hissed, making everyone's eyes snap on him. He rose from his seat and approached him. Something in the eyes of his son made the older Tom step back. He took out Morfin's wand and pressed it against his neck. "You legally married her and then left her. So, that makes _you_ a bastard, not me." He gritted through his teeth.

"I was lied to! Know your facts before you walk in here and blame me for that bitch's actions," he growled back and Tom flickered his wand. Tom Riddle Snr fell on the ground, for a few moments squirming in agony before the younger boy stopped. 

The older people gasped and tried to stand up, but Tom petrified them on their spots.

The older man chuckled humourlessly and shot him a glare. "So you are as abnormal as her. Aren't you?" he said, almost spitting on the ground. He didn't reply.

Tom took a step back and looked in the direction of Thomas Riddle. He pointed the wand to him and before anyone could say anything he flickered it.

" _Avada Kedavra_ ," he whispered and a green light emerged from its tip. In seconds, his paternal grandfather was dead, with eyes wide open like his mouth.

Mary gasped and kneeled next to him, sobbing. Tom Riddle Snr, still on the ground, looked at his father and then at his son. His breathing had quickened and he swallowed hard. He opened his mouth to say something but again Tom cut him off. 

His next victim was his paternal grandmother. Just like her husband, she collapsed on the ground, and her hands were grasping her neck.

His father sensing that he was next didn't say anything. Instead, he laughed.

"Kill me but remember; you are a bastard. Always were always will. You are nothing more than a product of a loveless-"

" _Avada Kedavra,_ " Tom cut him off and closed his eyes. He then looked at the bodies of his deceased family and felt nothing more than pure hatred. They were pathetic. They were nothing more than three fucking pathetic muggles, not worthy of him.

As he was about to turn around and leave, he looked at Mary Riddle once again. On her neck was resting a green opal necklace with golden details. He clasped it and flipped it. On the inside of one stone, the word _Riddle_ was carved in elegant, calligraphic letters. He slipped it into the pocket of his coat and quickly walked out of there.

As he returned to Morfin's Gaunt's hut, his mind briefly traveled to Aurora. The opals were the same color as her eyes and he couldn't think of a better present for her than that. With a hint of a smirk, he walked into the crumbling house. Soon it would be dawn and he had agreed to go to Aurora's by noon. 

But had some work left to do before going to the Volant Manor and with these thoughts, he completed the last step of his plan, successfully.

The only thing he would have to do now was to find a decent tux and mask.

*** 

Aurora looked at the clock for the tenth time within five minutes and suppressed a sigh. It was almost eight and Tom was nowhere to be seen. 

Her mother was upstairs getting ready for the ball. Sebastian and Avery, dressed in suits, were playing wizard chess while Abraxas was reading a book. Elroy had gone upstairs in the guest room to put on his tux and that left her alone and bored. She wanted to postpone going up to her room and getting dressed as much as she could.

But out of the blue, Qissy appeared in front of her and reminded her that her mother was waiting for her upstairs. With a groan and the boys chuckling, she went to her room, where a dress and a mask were laid in front of her on the bed. 

"I figured the dress would go well with your eye color and of course green is Slytherin's representative color," her mother mused and Aurora turned around to look at her.

Salome herself was dressed in a midnight blue gown that shined subtly when she twirled around. Her lips were painted in a dark burgundy color and her mask was silver, matching her necklace and ring. She looked more beautiful than she had ever seen her.

Aurora nodded and bit her lower lip. "And you had to throw a masquerade ball right after your husband got sentenced?" Her voice came out involuntarily curt and Salome sighed exhaustedly.

"Are you back to that subject ?" she asked and rolled her eyes.

"Don't you at least care what people will say?" she huffed.

"Just get dressed, child, and leave those matters to me," she said dismissingly and turned on her heel.

"Stop calling me a child for Merlin's sake!" she suddenly exclaimed and her pulse quickened. Salome froze and turned around.

Her mother pursed her lips in a tight line and looked at her disparagingly. "I suggest you get dressed quickly for the guests will be arriving soon. I'll tell the elf to help you with the corset; you look like you are with child," she snapped and walked out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her.

The young girl looked at the door in disbelief and collapsed on the bed, her breathing coming out of her lungs, short and shallow. She placed her hand on her chest and slightly swayed back and forth. She refused to cry. With trembling hands, she reached for the drawer and took out the bottle with the Calming Draught. She brought it to her lips but realized its content was empty. With an angry yelp, she threw it against the door and watched it break into a thousand purple smithereens. 

"Young mistress, young mistress..." Qissy had suddenly appeared in her room and started yelling alarmed, looking frantically between the broken bottle and Aurora. With a flick of her fingers, she repaired the glass object and placed it on the nightstand. Upon realizing that she had acted without her mistress's permission, she started kicking and slapping herself.

"Bad Qissy, bad Q-"

"Qissy stop!" Aurora commanded and the House-elf stopped harming herself as suddenly as it had started. She stared at her, with her big eyes waiting for an order.

Aurora breathed out slowly and sat again on the bed. "W-Why did you come?" she asked.

"Old mistress said that I should help the young mistress get ready," the elf explained and Aurora nodded. She felt a fascination upon hearing the words _old mistress_ and she smiled amused for a few moments, before composing herself.

"I see..." she muttered under her breath.

"Is young mistress sad? Her eyes seem unhappy," Qissy observed and Aurora chuckled briefly.

"Not sad Qissy. Just tired," she said and realized that she was having a conversation with a house-elf as if it were a person. She cleared her throat and regained her composure. "Qissy, I can get ready myself. I want you, however, to find me some Calming Draught as soon as possible. Understand?" she asked but the elf did not need to be told twice. Grabbing the bottle she apparated, leaving her alone.

With slow and tired movements, she got undressed, her clothes falling on the floor. Her eyes caught a reflection of herself in the mirror. Her stomach was flatter than the surface of a table, with a slight hint of rib bones showing. And her legs looked like tree branches that would snap with the slightest stroke of the wind. She wondered what the hell her mother was talking about and huffed.

But on a closer look, she saw that her stomach had rolls when she sat, and her thighs looked twice the size when she crossed her legs or leaned against a surface.

She chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. No, she wouldn't wear the corset but she'd watch out for what she ate from now on. 

Her nerves were still wrecked from the conversation with her mother and so she called another elf, Maggie, to magically do her hair and make-up and sent her away. She slipped on the dress while hearing the orchestral music and tried to zip up the dress from behind. Frustrated, as she was about to call the elf back, she heard a knock on her door.

Expecting it to be either Elroy or one of the boys, she opened it. Instead, her eyes met with a pair of dark onyx stones. A smile spread on her lips as she threw herself on him.

"Tom! Where the hell have you been the whole day? I was expecting you around noon!" she exclaimed. Tom awkwardly wrapped his arms around her waist and then they broke off.

"Well, well. Don't you look ravishing darling," he said, a smirk curling up, on his lips.

Aurora took a better look at him. He was wearing a dark tux that made him look older than he was and his usually messy hair was neatly combed, in a middle part. On his fingers, he was wearing a black ring. He was holding a black mask with golden details that matched the ring's colors. She suddenly felt as if she was looking at a different Tom. He raised an eyebrow questioningly and she chuckled.

"You know what they say; clothes make a man," she teased him, earning a glare from him that didn't last long. He rolled his eyes and she stepped aside.

"Well, that's one backhanded compliment," he pointed out, sarcasm dripping from his voice, and she laughed again.

"Come on Tom, you don't need me to compliment you," she said and looked at herself in the mirror. He placed the mask on a table and looked at her.

"How have you been?' he asked her and she looked away.

"Fine, you? What about your family you-"

"You are lying. And that's rare for a skilled liar like you," he cut her off and she looked at him, shaking her head.

"Not now, please," she said, her voice coming out hushed, and he reluctantly nodded. 

"Then I'll tell you about my family later as well," he said and she huffed chuckling.

"Fair enough." Their conversation was interrupted by Qissy, who had returned with the bottle filled. Tom looked at her curiously and she took a big sip.

"It calms the nerves. I need things like these whenever I am here," she explained and took another sip. He didn't say anything; he wasn't aware that Aurora drank calming potions and his eyes registered the purple bottle with interest. She put the bottle away, not bothering to place it in the box inside the drawer as usual and they made eye contact.

"C-can you zip the back of the dress for me? I can't do it on my own," she suddenly asked, her voice devoid of the usual awkwardness it would have normally. He blinked a few times, taken aback, and she turned around, her bare back facing him.

He got closer to her, his fingers grasping the zipper. She watched him from the mirror, his eyes fully concentrated and his jaw clenched. As he lifted the zipper, his fingers lightly brushed the exposed flesh of her skin, and it took every ounce of her self concentration not to shiver from the coldness of his hands. "There you go," he said softly and she slightly titled her head downwards, in a nod. For a few moments, none of them spoke and she caught him looking at her through the mirror.

She suddenly cleared her throat and stepped away.

"I almost forgot," she mumbled and searched her handbag. When she found what she was looking for, a victorious smile appeared on her lips. She turned around, her hands holding the locket-necklace. 

"Today's your birthday, Tom. Did you think I'd forget?" she asked him and handed him the gift. "It's- well, I don't know what it is exactly but I know you like the golden and green color. Plus the S can mean-"

"It is wonderful. Thank you," he cut her off, his eyes fully fixed on the locket. His fingers softly traced the outline of the letter and then looked at her. "I got something for you too," he told her, and he searched inside his pocket. A moment later, he took out a green necklace, its color matching Aurora's dress perfectly. She blinked a few times, her lips parting in surprise.

"B-but Tom this must have cost-"

"It's... a family heirloom," he cut her off and pointed to the carved letters. "See?" 

She pouted. "That makes it even worse. You should keep it and give it to a girl that will be someday important to you," she said and he rolled his eyes. He walked behind Aurora's back and now she couldn't help but shiver when the cold metal touched her skin. 

"I wanted to give it to you and so be a good girl and accept it," he said curtly, his fingers lingering a little longer than necessary on her neck. But she didn't notice as she turned around and hugged him again. She looked up and smiled.

"In that case... thank you," she said and he unwittingly smiled.

After that they both stepped back, Tom fixing his blazer and her checking herself again in the mirror. Without speaking, they walked out of the room, keeping a distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to say that Aurora's mother's views on the body are TOXIC and nothing written here should be taken seriously!!! I underline this. Pls, love yourself the way it is and shut off any negative comments <3 I pictured as the green necklace, the one Draco used at Half-Blood Prince to kill Albus.


	6. possible suitors

She wasn't just bored.

She was feeling as if she would fall asleep at any given moment. 

She had stopped pretending to be listening to Walburga Black's nonsensical monologue about who could be the best suitor for her along time ago. Instead, she indulged in the champagne that was so generously served. She had lost count of how many times her glass had magically refilled. The good thing was that she could hold her liquor and only slight dizziness reminded her that she probably had overstepped the appropriate, for a lady, boundaries. But she trusted enough the young Black to stop her from embarrassing herself in case something went wrong.

"... so, the conclusion is that only with Orion can I ensure that our bloodline stays pure, with the Black family blood staying intact." Aurora closed her eyes briefly, annoyed by her rant, but since their mothers had been friends since their school years, she knew she couldn't be rude to her. Instead, she smiled at her politely.

"Of course, Walburga. But shouldn't you consider the fact that Orion...is your cousin?" she suggested and took another sip from her glass.

The young woman huffed. "Don't be thick dear," she scoffed. "The Black family has been doing this for centuries. Besides, he's my second cousin- almost a stranger," she said and a chuckle escaped her lips. She wasn't wrong; incest marriages were a common practice among the pureblood families. The Black family was a prime example of it. She had read that even the Malfoys used to wed cousins to each other to ensure purity and the fallen house of the Gaunts went as far as to wed siblings.

She shivered at the thought of having to marry Abraxas, but thank Merlin her mother had enough common sense not to force her into anything like that.

Aurora gave up trying to persuade her and instead nodded, offering her a slight smile. 

"What about you? Rosiers- they are not bad. After all, their family belongs to the Sacred-28," Walburga said curiously, taking a bite from the tiny dessert served on the platters. 

She cleared her throat awkwardly and a blush spread on her face. "I- we are still in the sixth year. Marriage isn't something we talk about..." she trailed off, making the older girl roll her eyes mockingly.

"Don't be absurd Aurora. It doesn't suit you. Of course and _marriage_ is something you should think about. After all, it's the whole reason you two are allowed to be dating. Do you think otherwise your families would have allowed that?" she asked her, her voice insinuating that her statement was stupid.

Aurora slightly shrugged her shoulders and looked down at her drink. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," she mumbled under her breath.

She looked up, trying to find Elroy. He was standing next to the orchestra, talking with Are's father and Mrs. Yaxley. He looked breathtaking, dressed in a black tux that shined under the lights, and a black mask that made his eyes stand out. He had decided not to comb his hair and a mess of light brown hair was falling on his forehead. A smile tugged on her lips and Walburga suddenly spoke, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Hmm... I see marriage is inevitable if you keep looking at him like that," she mused, her voice fascinated. Aurora looked at her and rolled her eyes, the smile not leaving her lips.

"Should he propose, I promise you'll be the first one to hear about it," she promised, and they both laughed. A comfortable silence fell upon them, as Aurora slipped into her thoughts and Walburga looked around, trying to spot anything interesting.

She tried imagining what it would be like to marry Elroy.

She had no doubt that he would be a sweet husband, the one she could depend on to find security and love. They had dated for years now, and she could not recall a time when he had spoken harshly to her or said something that even hinted at offending her. And later, he would be an equally caring father to any children they'd have. She smiled again, and her eyes searched again for him. She could already imagine her mother going frantic with the wedding preparations and herself twirling around, dressed in a big, white dress-

"Oh my," she suddenly said and Aurora looked at her. Walburga was looking at someone with great interest. She tried to follow his gaze but to no avail.

"Who are you prying on?" she asked, making her huff.

"That friend of yours. Tom Riddle was it?" she asked and pointed with her chin towards him. He was leaning against a wall, far away from anyone, sipping on his glass of what seemed to be fire whisky. A lot of girls surrounded him but they seemed hesitant to approach him.

"What about him? Finally changed your mind on marrying Orion?" she said in a teasing tone. 

"No," she replied rolling her eyes. "I was just wondering... I barely know anything about this young fella," she mused. Then she cocked her head towards her. "Surely you must know something about him." Aurora cleared her throat awkwardly.

While that was a logical conclusion, as they had been friends since they were eleven, Aurora doubted that. Sometimes she felt that she barely knew Tom and even more after his strange behavior on the train-

"Well... he is in Slytherin. A great student," she deliberately didn't use the word excellent (probably out of inner jealousy). "I think something's going on between him and Parkinson," she said.

Walburga looked at her mockingly. "Do you really think that's what I am asking for?" she asked her.

She widened her eyes. "Oh, of course. He is pureblood, he told us so. But his parents- well," she stopped herself from revealing information just on time and faked a cough.

" _Riddle_ , _Riddle_ ," Walburga mumbled to herself. "I have never heard of the last name before. What are his parent's names?" she asked the question Aurora was trying to avoid.

"He doesn't have parents," she said quickly, making her eyebrows raise.

"Oh, that explains it," she said smiling. She looked at her mischievously, her eyes glinting. "Then why not consider him as well as a possible suitor?" she leaned in closer. "At least you won't have to deal with annoying in-laws," she whispered and Aurora gasped, nudging her in the ribs.

"Walburga!" she exclaimed but was it the alcohol she had consumed or the general atmosphere, a nervous laughter rose on her throat.

"What? I am being realistic," she defended herself, chuckling as well. Aurora looked at Tom again but almost choked on her drink when she saw that he was looking straight at her. She looked away and shot Walburga a glare. She was laughing and drank more champagne.

"Aurora, Aurora!" Walburga nudged her and she saw Helen Rowle approaching her, another daughter of her mother's friend. She had taken her mask off, clutching it with one hand, her light pink dress giving her a very soft, girlish look. Her other arm was wrapped around a young man that she instantly recognized, having seen him in the Ministry a few days ago. He had been sitting on the left of the Minister.

She smiled and they hugged each other wordlessly. The moment they broke off, she showed her her hand and the shining of a diamond blinded her for a few seconds.

"Barty proposed!" she squealed excitedly. "I just told Salome and Sebastian, and oh Merlin I couldn't wait until I told you as well!" she looked at the girl next to her and gasped. "Walburga dear, you look unrecognizable. Soo... refined," she said dragging the "o". She proceeded to quickly hug her as well and it was clear that the two women didn't much like each other.

Aurora looked at the young man with the dark mustache and hair and reluctantly smiled. He gave her a curt nod and extended his hand.

"Bartemius Crouch pleased to meet you," he said politely, but his tone seemed curt as if he were talking to an assistant. He cleared his throat. "Lovely gathering," he added after seeing the look on Helen's face.

Aurora laughed and shook his hand. "Likewise, Mr. Crouch. I am certainly glad to see Helen so happy," she said and smiled at both. "Have you set a date for the wedding?" she asked and cast the Black a brief look. She was examining Bartemious from head to toe.

She knew that Walbruga couldn't wait to tell the rest of their friends all about Helen's fiance and probably mercilessly slander him.

The couple looked at each other. "We decided to wait for at least a year. We wouldn't want to overshadow Salome," Helen replied and instantly bit her lower lip, her bright eyes widening.

Aurora narrowed her eyes and a confused smile tugged on her lips. "Salome? What does my mother have to do with this?" she asked and looked at the three of them.

Bartemius cleared his throat awkwardly and drank from his glass. Helen and Walburga cast each other meaningful looks.

"Didn't she tell you?" Helen asked softly. "Her and Sebastian Avery are getting married..." she trailed off, making her choke on her saliva.

"S-Sebastian Avery?" she managed to say between her breaths. Walburga rolled her eyes at Helen and looked at Aurora.

"She means the oldest, not the son," she reassured her.

Murmuring something inaudible, she excused herself and turned around, determined to find her mother and confront her about it. Her eyes scanned the enormous ballroom.

So that's why she couldn't care less about her father's trial, and why she almost laughed at her whenever she mentioned it. She was getting remarried. It was probably even the reason why she was throwing this ball; to announce her engagement. She wanted to roll her eyes at that.

Frankly, she didn't quite care about what her mother did in her personal life. But Salome could at least have had the decency to tell her beforehand and save her the embarrassment of having to hear about it from acquaintances. 

"Ares, have you seen my mother?" she asked the sad-looking boy that was leaning against a wall, looking completely out of space. He snapped his eyes on her, trying to figure out who she was, and sighed.

"Hey Rori, I almost didn't recognize you. You look really pretty," he said. The impatience left her instantly upon seeing his face. "I don't know where your mother is, unfortunately," he added.

She blinked a few times and approached him, her face softer. "Are you alright? You look...melancholic," she said gently and he sighed again. A bitter smile appeared on his face and he looked at her.

"It's fine. I'll get over it," he said in a voice that couldn't convince anyone. She opened her mouth to argue but he cut her off. "I think the beautiful lady in blue is your mother, right?" 

Aurora looked at him seriously for a few moments and her eyes registered her mother talking with her uncle and Abraxas. Then she turned back to him.

"You can always talk to me, Ares. I hope you know that," she said and he nodded.

"Of course. Congratulations by the way. Someone told me that your mom's getting married. How does it feel Seb becoming your brother?" he asked, his good mood returning and she rolled her eyes.

"Bugger off," she told him and heard him chuckle. "I'll see you later," she told him and turned on her heels.

As she approached them, they looked at her. Abraxas and Lazarus smiled at her.

"Ah, my dearest niece," Lazarus said. "Haven't seen you all night. How are you child?" he asked her. 

_The use of this word must run in the blood_ , she thought.

She faked a smile. "Oh, I am alright. I was just talking to Helen Rowle and Walburga Black and guess what they told me; mother's getting married!" she exclaimed, faking excitement in her voice. Salome looked lost for a moment but quickly recovered. The two men had different reactions; Abraxas furrowed his eyebrows and looked back and forth, between the mother and her daughter. Lazarus cleared his throat.

"Why yes- it's good news," he mumbled, but no one paid attention to him. Aurora took off her mask and looked at her mother with lips pursed in a tight line.

"Come on Abraxas, I see Elizabeth Meliflua and her father over there," Lazarus dragged his son with him, leaving the two women alone.

Salome sighed and played with her drink. "What do you want me to do Aurora? Apologize?" she scoffed, making the younger girl huff frustrated.

"No, but you could at least tell me in advance. You know, you may not like it but you're my mother and I ought to be informed about such important decisions," she said, keeping her voice low to avoid people hearing. 

Her mother shook her head. "I knew you would be unreasonable," she said and it took every inch of Aurora's self-control not to start screaming.

" _Unreasonable_?" she hissed. "Do you hear yourself? I am being called unreasonable because I didn't want to be informed about it by friends instead of my own mother?" she continued and closed her eyes to calm down. She opened them and shaking her head, she looked at her mother apathetically. 

"Do whatever you want. You know that I can't and wouldn't stop you. I just wish you were a bit more motherly to me. That's all," she whispered the last part and before she could speak, she turned around and walked out of the ballroom. 

She didn't know where she was heading to, but she wanted to be alone.

***

Tom was watching the scene from afar while slowly sipping on his drink. 

His eyes hadn't left Aurora for a moment. Even when he was talking to others and tried to charm them, half of his attention was diverted to the girl in the dark green dress. When she left the room, he made his way towards Salome.

"Good evening Mrs. Malfoy," he said smoothly, knowing that she hated being addressed by her husband's last name. "Or should I say Mrs. Avery?" he suggested, raising an eyebrow, and the woman laughed.

"Oh, Tom! You are such a flirt," she said smiling and for a few seconds, she looked exactly like Aurora.

"You know you can just call me Salome. Those titles make me feel _old_ ," she said, her nose scrunching with repulsion at the word. Tom could relate to this; he hated the idea of aging as much (if not more) as her.

"Old? That's an oxymoron, Salome, when talking about you," he said, a sly smile making it's way up, on his lips. He noticed that she slightly blushed. "Either way, I haven't had the opportunity to congratulate you on your engagement."

She sighed. "I see everybody already knows. The surprise was ruined," she said, mostly to herself, and then turned to him. "Thank you, darling. I believe you will be coming to the wedding as well right? A-Aurora would love that," she uttered her daughter's name, with a hint of hesitation, and he nodded.

"I would love that," he reassured her and they both drank from their glasses. 

"I hear from everyone that you are a very talented young man. You'll be the Head Boy next year," she had meant to make it sound like a question, but it sounded more like a confident statement.

He looked down, pretending to be humble. "I- well. I don't know. There are so many other gifted students at Hogwarts that could take that position," he said softly and she huffed.

"You are too humble for your own good, darling," she told him and he smiled. He wanted to tell her that her daughter was also a great candidate for that title but he refrained from it; he had noticed that whenever Aurora's name was mentioned, her mood darkened. And he didn't need that at the moment. 

"Salome, my eyes caught a glimpse of your library on my way downstairs," he started saying in an indifferent tone. The woman subtly shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't even go inside; it all belongs to Francis but he won't be coming any time soon," she mumbled. "Why?"

Tom cleared his throat and took a small step closer to her. Nothing too scandalous, but enough for her to feel his musky smell and feel a little dazzled. 

"I was simply wondering if I could take a look. I could reinforce my knowledge perhaps," he added jokingly. 

Salome looked at him for a moment, her grey eyes boring into his dark ones. "Of course. Whatever you need Tom don't hesitate to ask me," she said and he took a step back.

"Thank you, Salome. Once again congratulations," he said, and with a last nod, he turned around and walked out of the ballroom.

It wasn't that he needed anyone's permission to look at anything, but by doing so, he knew that he had wrapped that woman around his pinky finger. As he walked up the stairs, he chuckled to himself; people were so easy to manipulate that it was no longer entertaining but predictable and boring. At least he could thank that filthy muggle for his looks; they were the only useful thing he had left him with. 

He turned on his left, walking into yet another big hallway. When he reached the door he had been looking for, he walked inside.

" _Accio Francis's book_ ," he muttered but nothing flew right in his hand.

He rolled his eyes. Well, he probably wouldn't have left it unprotected, or even if he did, it would have another name. He opened the drawers, his fingers quickly skimming over the various books and notebooks and papers he came across. But none of them was what he was looking for. Frustrated, he looked at the books. He had already read all of them at Hogwarts restricted section and nothing inside them answered his questions. As he raised his wand to cast a spell, something caught his eyes.

A huge portrait, where the people depicted were not moving. 

It was at least strange for a pureblood and famous wizard to own such a non-magical piece, that looked like it belonged to a muggle. Unless he had hidden something behind it or even inside it, why else would he have it hanging in his library?

Tom approached the painting, with a smirk on his lips, confident in himself that he had found what he had been looking for. 

As his fingers made contact with the golden frame, a feminine voice startled him.

"Tom? What are you doing?" 

He froze on his spot and slowly turned around, to look into the curious eyes of Aurora Volant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have changed a few timelines e.g the birth years of a few characters <3 Also, to avoid confusion, I meant Barty Crouch Senior (the junior is yet to be born)


	7. Ignorant, naïve, gullible

"Rori, RORI!" 

A startled gasp left Aurora's lips as she looked up and saw Abraxas furrowing his eyebrows, looking concerned. She closed her eyes and sighed. This had happened for the fifth time today, making even Slughorn give her a strange look, as for the first time since she had been attending his classes, Aurora seemed oddly distracted. She had mixed up the rat spleen with the crocodile heart, reducing the initially light green colored potion, into an acidic black one and melting her cauldron in the process. After that, she had run out of the classroom, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

_The voices, those incessant voices in her head had started this._

She cleared her throat and apologized to the pale boy, taking his potions essay from his hands to give it a look.

"Are you alright? Something has obviously been bothering you all day long," he said and she shook her head with a faint smile.

"Of course and I am fine, Brax I just-"

"Is this about our parents?" Sebastian cut her off, sitting at the other side of Slytherin's common room. He put away his book and stood up. "It''s fine if you feel uncomfortable about their marriage. It took me by surprise too. I mean, I thought he would wait at least two years after mom's passing to get married but..." he sighed and shook his head. "That's Sebastian Avery Senior for you," he rolled his eyes and his mouth twitched in annoyance.

Aurora looked at him, her lips pouting, and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I- it's not about that Seb. Although, I feel like I ought to apologize for my mother," she told him softly.

"Don't be silly Rori. It's not your fault- not even Salome's while we are at it," he tried to cheer her up. She laughed bleakly and put the scroll on the table.

"Oh, please. My mother rushed to announce her engagement right after dad was sentenced to a Dementor's kiss. Keep in mind that they haven't even officially divorced yet," she said, her voice slightly trembling like it did whenever she referred to her. She sighed again and shrugged her shoulders defeated.

"My father said that he would make the minister rush the divorce process," Abraxas cleared his throat awkwardly, chipping in the conversation, and took a sip from the firewhisky he and Sebastian had opened a while ago. Aurora pretended not to hear; instead, she tried to concentrate on her cousin's essay. But that was no easy feat as she was indeed distracted. 

The second reason for that was not the upcoming wedding of her mother, but rather, a confusing memory of what had happened at the New Year's Eve ball, a great addition to the voices.

One thing she was absolutely sure about was that she had walked out of the ballroom after her fight with Salome. A lot of people had seen her and all the boys had confirmed that when she had asked them discreetly the other day.

Another thing she was certain that had happened was that he had gone to the balcony on the fifth floor in order to calm down. When she had seen that it was a quarter to midnight, she quickly rushed back, to find Elroy and welcome the New Year together. She remembered walking down the stairs, at some point almost tripping over and falling, but after that everything was just blurry.

She hadn't passed out. She hadn't fallen down the stairs for sure.

Yet she had a ring of purple bruises on her both wrists that were not fading.

And somehow she had ended up on her bed, with her dress and jewelry still on but no one knew how. 

She had asked Tom and her mom, elaborating more on what she remembered. Her mother, after a flash of worry passing by her eyes, had scolded her in her own style -meaning she just kept her voice cool while making her feel like a fool- and told her to avoid drinking in the future, since something worse could have happened. 

Tom, on the other hand, seemed even more worried than her mother and had asked her to enlarge on what she remembered but to no avail. What she could recall made no sense and she didn't want anyone to think that she had difficulty in holding her liquor when that wasn't the case at all. That would be simply embarrassing.

"You are doing it again..." Abraxas's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Is my essay that bad?" he joked, and she offered him a small smile.

"No, but Slughorn will immediately see through what you're trying to do," she stood up and handed him the essay. "Bigger letters won't make up for two scrolls Brax," she chuckled along with Sebastian and his cheeks flushed red. "Other than that, just change the conclusion- don't make it a repetition of what you said in the previous paragraphs," she told him and grabbed her cloak.

"Where are you off to?" Sebastian asked her.

"I'll go to the hospital wing to get something for my headache," she lied smoothly. "I will be back soon."

As it was quite late in the evening, the usually busy corridors of Hogwarts were now empty, the silence giving her an eerie solace. She stopped walking for a moment, knowing that it was too early to attend her duties as perfect but then again, too late to do something creative that would take off her mind. She debated, not knowing what to do or where to go. She just knew she wanted some proper answers to her endless list of questions and usually, the library was where she found them. 

But the thing was, she had no idea what she was looking for, and walking in unknown territory annoyed her.

As she was about to enter the library, she saw a silhouette in the dark and a loud gasp left her lips.

"Oh, Merlin! I apologize," the voice of Merrythought sounded worried as she approached her. "I was just doing some research."

"It's fine, professor. I-I was just startled," she said breathlessly and swallowed hard. She wanted to roll her eyes at her stupidity; the last thing she needed on her plate at the moment was an additional paranoia.

"I was actually looking for you and Tom," Merrythought started saying. "Any idea where he might be?" 

Aurora bit her lower lip and shook her head confused. "No, professor. But whatever you were looking for us?"

The old woman chuckled. "For such brilliant student, you surely are forgetful. Don't you remember that you two are supposed to receive detention for the injuries you caused each other during my class?" She looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Truth be told, she had completely forgotten about that.

"Why, of course. It's just, a lot of weeks have passed since that incident. I thought you would be summoning us sooner," she explained and Merrythoguht nodded.

"Ah, yes. But Headmaster Dippet and I thought it would be better if we waited until the beginning of the new term," she said and her eyes averted from her, letting up instantly. "Tom, dear, we were just talking about you!" she exclaimed joyfully, too joyfully for a woman that was about to tell her student that he was to receive a detention.

But that was just Tom Riddle's irresistible charm, to which no one was immune.

He strolled off, closer to them, with an amused smile tugging on the corners of his lips. 

"I am flattered, professor. Aurora," he greeted her and she acknowledged him with a curt nod. "But what's the matter?" he asked and stood right next to her. Their arms were brushing against each other but he made no movement to jerk away. His musky scent filled her nostrils and she couldn't help when her eyes cast him a side glance. He was looking straight, his eyes glued to the short, old woman with polite curiousness.

"It's actually about the detention we were supposed to receive," Aurora decided to inform him on behalf of Merrythought, tearing her gaze away, and he seemed confused for a moment. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, and she took out her wand making movements in the air to remind him of their small feud. Upon remembering, he rolled his eyes at her and looked at the professor.

"Walk with me," Merrythought said and walked off from the entrance of the library. The two young students followed after.

Aurora kept looking forward, immersing herself in the observation of the paintings hanging from the walls of the hallway. But she felt someone looking at her intensely and she didn't have to think hard to figure out who it was; she cocked her head to his direction and their eyes met briefly. Hers were neutral, giving off no emotion. His were watching her curiously as if she were some sort of experiment he needed to keep a careful eye on. His lips curled up slightly and she nervously looked away, her nails digging in her palms nervously, inside the pocket of her robes.

Knowing that she was being silly, she looked down at her feet and felt her nails stopping the circulation in her palm. There was no reason why she was acting like that to her closest friend- it was an unreasonable reaction. Yet, ever since they had returned to Hogwarts, unwittingly she had started avoiding him as much as she could, opting to spend time either in her room alone or always in the presence of one of the boys or girls. During class, she had switched seats and now she was partners with either Elroy or Ares, and whenever they had to attend their duties as Perfects, they did that in silence.

Guilty as she felt for pushing him out she knew she couldn't do otherwise. Time-that's what she needed. Until she figured out what had happened and what was happening daily.

Tom had accepted her sudden shift of behavior wordlessly and unbeknown to her, warily. He had kept a careful eye on her throughout this time knowing he couldn't break into her mind easily, thanks to her exceptional Occlumency skills. But despite that, deep down he didn't like the change at all. He felt as if Aurora was slipping right through his fingers like sand and that he couldn't allow happening. Not until he got everything he wanted from her. Because -as much as he hated admitting it- Aurora Volant was a necessity to him. A very special necessity he could do nothing he had planned without.

The three of them halted walking once they reached Merrythoughts office. She opened the door and they followed her in, both wondering how many scrolls they would have to write. 

She sat on her seat and motioned them to do the same. 

"Aurora, Tom," she trailed off. "We figured that making you write would simply be a waste of time. And since you two are students that particularly enjoy spending time in the library-" she cast them both a knowing smile, "you will be working in the Restricted Section of it, until the end of the term," she concluded, and for a few moments neither Tom nor Aurora blinked.

"Pardon me for asking professor, but what exactly will we be doing?" Tom asked, concealing his excitement with a raise of his eyebrows. Frankly, he didn't quite care about what they would be doing. The once irritation about the prospect of earning detention for the first time since he had stepped a foot in this school, had now turned into eagerness and scorn for both Dippet and Merrythought; they were foolish enough to give him exactly what he needed without even realizing it.

"Oh, of course!" she chuckled, and he allowed a polite smile to appear on his lips. "You shall drop off your wands to me, every Friday after you attend your duties as perfects and dust off the shelves in that section without the use of any magic. I calculated the books to be enough for you two to be done by the time it's summer," she said.

Aurora took the news without feeling particularly relieved or excited, unlike her friend. She had read and seen most of the books in there and she doubted there would be anything interesting for her. So, she gave the professor a nod, cringing at the fact that she would have to do manual work. She stood up and he copied her move. 

"Is that all professor?" she asked her.

"Yes- I will be expecting you in my office the day after tomorrow. I would warn you not to think of bringing your friends' wands but I think of you two too highly to do something like that. Off you go now," she dismissed them.

They walked out of Merrythought's office in silence, both too caught up in their own thoughts to realize that they had been heading towards the opposite direction of Slytherin's dungeons. He was the first to stop, abruptly, making her collide with his back. She looked up annoyed and he rolled his eyes.

"This way," he mumbled under his breath. "We should start patrolling the hallways soon," he told her in a formal tone but she didn't react.

"Aurora?" His voice sounded a tad concerned. She stopped walking-he automatically did the same- and she sighed.

"I apologize. It's just these past few days have been... weird to say the least," she told him, and he looked at her curiously.

"Weird?" he inquired, his face softening. "How so?"

She chewed on her lower lip and he instantly understood that she was hesitant to tell him. "Does it have to do with the mysterious br-"

"No, no. It's not that," she cut him off quickly and averted her eyes from his face. "Really-it's not something you should concern yourself with. I am fine," she lied and tried to walk away but Tom's firm fingers wrapped around her wrist, and she turned her around, making her face him. Her lips parted perplexed but before she could say anything, he cut her off.

"You are lying," he said gently and Aurora shook her head.

"I am not," she insisted, her wrist still in his hand.

"You may be able to deceive others, sweet Aurora, but you know I can always see through your lies," he told her in a saccharine voice and her lips pursed.

"It takes an equally skilled liar to detect another," a smirk made its way on her lips and he chuckled humorlessly, releasing her.

" _Touché_ ," he said. "But you have yet to give me an acceptable answer," he mused, crossing his arms over his chest.

She cleared her throat and looked him in the eye. "I could say the same for you as well," she told him, raising an eyebrow and he huffed.

"What do you mean?" he asked, twirling his wand between his fingers.

"Don't tell me you have already forgotten our quite _memorable_ conversation on the train," she said sarcastically. "You said the train and my house weren't the appropriate places to discuss whatever you have to tell me. So, I am all ears."

Tom looked at her without blinking for a few seconds before shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "I have no idea what you are talking about. I had a fallout with Sebastian and Elroy simply took his side. Nothing to dwell on," he said dismissively and she scoffed.

"Are you being serious?" she asked, disbelief evident in her voice. "Are you being bloody serious right now?"

"Language Aurora," he rolled his eyes. "And yes, I am. I don't think I have said something illogical-"

"You are lying!" she cut him off. "T-there's more into what I saw, so stop bloody lying," she hissed and he laughed.

"Really?" he asked her sardonically and took a step forward. With a few centimeters between them, he lowered his head and his fingers grabbed her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. Even if she wanted, she couldn't move as a sudden shiver went down her spine, immobilizing her on the spot. "What's your theory then darling?" His hot breath fell on her, and she sensed tobacco and cinnamon. 

She bit her lower lip and thought. _What was her theory indeed?_ Everything she had thought of sounded at least ridiculous.

"I don't know," she replied in the same hushed tone. "But the boys refused to give me a proper answer, you are evading my questions... I can assume that you are up to something suspicious and most probably illegal." He let go of her instantly and barked a laugh.

"Illegal? Me?" he asked surprised. "Darling, I am the last person to do anything illegal in this school. I thought you knew me better than that," he told her, and a rosy color tainted her cheeks. She looked away, feeling embarrassed. 

"Then why not just tell me? You know I would never snitch on you Tom," she breathed out, exasperated.

"There is nothing to tell you. I said what I said on the train because I wanted to give you some time to calm down," he reassured her.

"But the boys looked as if you were all conspiring something," she exclaimed, and his eyes darkened. She wondered, deep down, if she had made a mistake to say that.

"What do you mean?" he asked her softly and she faked a cough.

"Erm... well, when I demanded explanation they told me it wasn't their place to say what was going on," she explained and his lips pursed in a tight line, for a few moments, before the usual polite smile returning.

"I can assure you that nothing sort of _conspiration_ is taking place," he chuckled. "It's... bloody hell. Fine, I'll tell you," he sighed and looked around to make sure no one was around. She leaned in curiously as he started speaking. "Aurora, you know that we all treasure you very much, right?" She hesitantly nodded, not knowing what to expect.

"Well, you being the only girl in our friend group- don't take this the wrong way- but it is sometimes preventing us from doing our _boy activities_ ," he said, and she blinked a few times surprised.

"Boy activities?" she asked. That was the last thing she thought she would hear.

Tom rolled his eyes at her cutting him off and continued. " _So_ , we have made this secret from you-uh how to call this... _club_ and engage in boyish stuff when we are alone," he told her laughing and her mouth opened, taken aback.

"Is this a kind way of telling me to leave you guys alone?" she asked and his laughter increased.

"No, for Merlin's sake. But it's just something we have been doing for a while now and since you are the only peacemaker between us, things get quite tense when you are not around," he reassured her. She nodded but as if remembering something, she spoke again.

"Should I be concerned about the boyish activities that involve Elroy?" she asked narrowing her eyes at him. He chuckled and made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

"Obviously and not. You'd better hope I won't tell Rosier that you doubt his faithfulness," he teased her and she huffed.

"A boy group behind my back? Is that truly what you are all hiding?" she asked, once again in disbelief and he nodded.

"I swear on my father's grave," he promised. "But do me a favor darling and don't mention to the others that I have spilled our little secret," he said, his mouth curling downwards into a pout. 

"Sure..." she trailed off, lost in her thoughts. "Does that mean I should start giving you more time alone?" she suddenly asked, guilt tracing her voice.

"Don't be silly. Just be as you always were," he told her with a convincing smile. _Ignorant, naïve, and gullible._

She nodded, in her head connecting dots. She believed -or wanted to- that he was being truthful. His explanation did sound logical and she had acted, as usual, driven by paranoia. She shook her head, to snap out of her thoughts.

"We have to attend our duties. I will start with patrolling the hallway near the girl's lavatories," she told him and he nodded.

"I will be near the dungeons, should you need something," he said and after a last look, they both departed in the opposite directions.

She walked off towards the stairs that lead to the first floor and sighed. Yes, she was being paranoid as usual. Her thoughts were cut off by the sigh of two first-year Hufflepaffs that were out of their rooms past curfew and strolled off towards their direction.

At the same time, near Slytherin's Dungeons, Tom Riddle was standing at the end of the hallway, barely paying any attention whether there was someone out of their bed or not. Instead, he was replaying what she had told him. Something was obviously happening to her but she wasn't willing to tell him what. He doubted even Rosier knew -although he would have to make sure about that. He twirled the wand between his fingers annoyed and exhaled slowly.

The memory charm had worked perfectly on Morfin Gaunt- he kept a close watch on the Daily Prophet and it was mentioned that he had admitted to his crimes of killing three muggles. But on Aurora, it seemed to have not the same effect. She could sense that something didn't quite add up and he scolded himself mentally. He wasn't the one to do sloppy work but when he had heard footsteps, he knew he couldn't afford anyone seeing him and thus the result.

He took out a pack of cigarettes- the only muggle creation he enjoyed- and lit up one. The heavy taste of the smoke seemed to relax his tense muscles but this was not enough.

No, he wouldn't be fully relaxed until he used Aurora Volant to her full potential and then disposed of her. As she had put her faith in him, he doubted it would be a difficult feat to achieve.

With a swift movement, he put out the stick and went into Slytherin's common room. He had was not in the mood to watch out for disobedient children. Not when something greater would soon be unfolding in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't lie- I feel bad for Aurora :/


	8. intoxicating

Aurora turned to page 567 of her hefty Transfiguration book and tried to concentrate.

But the words were dancing in front of her, almost as if mocking her for her inability to focus. She breathed in and out, closing her eyes, and after a few seconds, she opened them again. Now, at least, she could make out the sentences.

The spell seemed easy enough for her.

She had to turn a bowling ball into a balloon and she had used a similar spell not long ago, practicing on her own, as she liked to be ahead of her class. Her eyes studied the small paragraph in front of her and her gaze averted from the book to the bowling ball she had asked Dumbledore to lend her. She repeated the words a few times, making sure she used the correct pronunciation, and she reached for her wand. As she flickered the wand and said the words, she watched with a satisfied grin the dark metallic object turn into an azure-colored ballon. 

_How long will you be content with small feats? You ought to strive for more._

Her smile fell instantly and the wand dropped from her hands in a loud thud that echoed in the empty library. Aurora looked around frantically, trying to see who had spoken but she realized that no one was near her. With trembling hands, she reached for her wand and kept it close to her.

"Who's there?" She made her voice surprisingly steady and stood up. "Peeves?" She asked after some consideration. But the ghosts generally had no interest in coming into the library and Peeves knew better than to annoy the students in Bloody-Baron's house.

No one replied -as expected- and she fell back on the chair, a shaky breath leaving her lungs. It was in her head. She had been imagining somebody talking to her throughout the week.

Was she going crazy?

She rubbed her temple with her fingers and shook her head. Visiting the hospital wing would be of no use- not unless she wanted to end up at St. Mangos psychiatric ward. And she would rather mop the stables at her home, without magic, than to owl her mother about it or tell her friends.

As she looked up, her gaze fell on something glass made.

Maybe -and the sudden thought came with a wave of relief- she should start lessening the dozes of the Calming Draught she was drinking. Now that she was not anywhere near the Volant Manor and Salome, she had no reason to wallow in that potion, that had become her everyday routine. She glanced at the purple bottle that was next to her textbooks and sighed pleased.

Yes, that was the answer. But she would throw it away starting tomorrow- she had to calm her trembling hands for the moment. She reached for the bottle and tapped her nails on it. Its content was almost ending which gave her more reason to quit consuming it.

_Tomorrow_ , she promised and brought the bottle to her lips, taking a generous sip. Warmth spread throughout her body and in a few moments, her trembling stopped. Happier than she was a few minutes ago, she transformed the balloon to its original form and grabbed her books. 

She had to return the bowling ball to Dumbledore and so she got out of the library and quickly made her way towards the professor's office. She met a few students on her way. None of them looked like they had voices in their heads talking to them, but she couldn't quite care about that. She was feeling too relaxed to give a damn. 

Aurora knocked on the door and waited for his response.

"Come in," his calm voice told her and she opened it. Surprised, she stopped walking as she saw that he wasn't alone.

A man- looking much older than Dumbledore himself- was sitting on an armchair, his hands placed on his knees, and his eyes fell on Aurora with polite interest. His dust white hair was falling freely to the edge of his chin and he was dressed in light-colored robes. The first word that came to her mind was that he looked oddly...old.

The professor gave her a kind look and she suddenly felt awkward. She should have brought it tomorrow after class.

"Oh, I apologize. I didn't mean to intrude- I just wanted to return the bowling ball," she said, her voice sounding soft and polite. Dumbledore shook his head and smiled.

"You are not intruding Miss Volant. Thank you for returning it. Do take a seat please," he said and she placed it on a nearby table.

Then she sat opposite the white-haired man. "May I introduce you to my friend? This is Nicolas Flamel," he started saying but during his small pause, she cut in, looking at the man with wide eyes, full of awe.

"I have read about you sir," she said and Nicolas chuckled. His name was mentioned a lot of times in books and a few times in the Daily Prophet as he was a famous alchemist, but she had never seen his face. 

"Why yes. They always write and write about me even though I have told them countless times that I don't like my name being mentioned," he said with a sigh and she allowed herself to small laugh.

"As many times you have told them about your achievements I suppose?" Dumbeldore chipped in and this time Aurora chuckled genuinely. Nicolas didn't seem to mind him- he ignored him and instead he fixed his dark eyes on her with newly founded interest.

"Volant you said?" He asked and she nodded. Dumbledore offered her a plate of yellow caramels. 

"Lemon drops?" he asked and she accepted one with a thankful smile.

"I used to know an ancestor of yours," Nicolas continued, not bothered by the small interruption. Aurora's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Really sir?" She asked, curiousness tracing her voice. Her father hadn't been around enough to tell her anything about their ancestors- he was either locked away in his library or training her in Occlumency. And her mother would drink poison first before saying anything about her husband's side of the family. 

"Yes. Silas Volant..." he trailed off, his eyes sinking in what she could decipher to be melancholy. "Talented- he was very talented. Maybe too much," he sighed and Aurora put the lemon drop in her mouth. Its sweetly sour taste felt good on her tongue. 

"Did you use to be friends with him, sir?" she asked and he smiled bitterly.

"Yes. I considered myself honored and lucky to have made friends with such a wizard," he said. She couldn't help asking the next question.

"What happened to him, If I may ask?" Nicolas's lips pursed in a tight line and she wondered if she had overstepped the boundaries. But that Silas person- he was her ancestor. She had every right to ask about him.

"Miss Volant, I hate to interrupt your conversation but I think it's getting too late," Dumbledore's voice cut them off. She cleared her throat and against her best wishes, she stood up.

"Of course, professor. I apologize," she said, with fake kindness. 

"Nothing to apologize for," he said.

She turned to Nicolas Flamel. "It has been an honor to meet you, sir," she extended her hand and he shook it. His fingers were unusually cold.

"Likewise, Miss Volant. I wish you become as great as Silas was one day," he said and she smiled. She could only hope that her ancestor was as great as he described him to be.

Dumbledore cast his friend a wary look but she didn't see it.

She walked out of his office and stood there for a moment, undecided. Then, she shrugged her shoulders and strolled off to the Slytherin's Common Room. 

_Silas Volant_ , Aurora made a mental note to herself to search for his name in the library. 

***

She looked at her wand, biting her lower lip thoughtfully, and wondered whether or not Merrythought would check herself to see if they had used magic. As she had said the day before, she did trust them enough not to, so why not borrow Elroy's for a few hours? He wouldn't refuse. In fact, no one would ever dare to refuse any of her whims; she had been raised as a spoiled princess and that gave her more confidence to demand whatever she wanted.

"I know exactly what you are thinking about," Tom mused, sneaking up on her from behind. She let out a small gasp and slapped him on the arm.

"You scared me," she snapped at him and he smiled unbothered by her curt tone. 

"As I was saying- she will know if you bring someone's wand and I have no desire of getting extra detention because of you," he told her and his eyes narrowed, looking at her sternly like he did whenever he was giving out detentions or taking points from other Houses.

Aurora rolled her eyes and walked past him without a further conversation. Today was the first Friday of detention and she had to admit to herself that she was quite nervous as -just like Tom- she had never been the one to act mischievously or break the school rules. Therefore, she had never received a punishment, and hadn't been that stupid day, she would have never. She wondered if this would make her chances of becoming a Head Girl slimmer and she scowled; the last thing Aurora needed was a letter of reproach from her mother. Or _any_ kind of letter from her, to be frank. 

They hadn't talked once after she left the Manor, and before that their conversations regarded strictly her friends -that were spending the week there-, her academic performance and inevitably her physical appearance. At least she had the decency not to bring up her wedding and rub it to her face. At the thought of Salome, Aurora fidgeted unwittingly.

Her fingers mechanically searched the pocket of her robes, only to realize that she had left the bottle in her chamber. She had long forgotten her promise not to take any of the Calming Draught in the future. Momentarily annoyed, she dug her nails in her palms and took twenty-five points from a first-year Gryffindor that was out of bed. An additional five points because he had complained that they were too many, eventually shutting his mouth and making run off to his dorm frowning.

"That was harsh even for my standards," Tom commented quietly, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. She huffed.

"And you seem too lenient for mine," she said, earning a light chuckle from him. Upon hearing the attractive sound, she couldn't help but chuckle along, carried away by the sudden change of mood.

They walked towards Merrythought's office, engaging in small talk, and left their wands.

Merrythought was busily correcting a few essays and she didn't even look up upon their entrance. 

"You will find the necessary equipment outside of the library. I believe you have Astronomy today?" she asked and the two young people nodded. "Just a couple of hours and then you are free. I wouldn't want any of you to be late, alright?" Merrythought looked up from the scroll and smiled at them kindly. Aurora felt slightly encouraged by that.

Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as she had previously thought.

She changed her mind instantly, the moment she touched the red dust wand. Maybe only then did it dawn on her that she would actually have to do manual work, something unheard of for a Volant. Her eyes landed on the seemingly countless shelves they would have to dust off and her heart sank into her stomach. There was no way they would manage to finish all of them even if they came here every day.

She scrunched her nose and gave Tom a concerned look. "The books are too many," she complained and he rolled his eyes.

"Don't be a child, Aurora. Start with the shelves over there," he said in an authoritative voice. "And I will start from here," he concluded and she scoffed.

"Aren't you supposed to be the man between us? Why would you give me the shelf with the most books?" she cried out, shooting him a glare. His mouth twitched, a wave of annoyance washing over him, but his gaze remained stoic. Frankly, he was in no mood for her irritating whims tonight.

"Just do it, don't ask too many questions," he turned his back on her and strolled off towards the opposite direction of the restricted section.

Aurora stood there, her eyes fixed on his back and broad shoulders for a few moments before deciding to make a move; she threw the dust wand, making it successfully hit the back of his head, a small sound echoing in the empty room of the library. She slapped her mouth instantly, to prevent hysterical laughter from escaping but to no avail. She placed her hand on a nearby table and covered her mouth as she trembled with laughter.

Tom turned around immediately, his fingers touching unconsciously the place where the object had crushed him and watched Aurora laugh with narrowed eyes. He couldn't believe that she had dared to hit him.

With swift steps, he approached her, and his fingers wrapped around her wrists, making her stand straight. The image of her bony wrists made him stop for a few moments but then he snapped out of it. He pushed her back, making her hit a bookshelf, a book that was placed at the edge falling on the floor, and her laughter turned into slight chuckles. He leaned down, to the height of her eyes, and his lips pursed in a tight line. He could feel her breath on his face that combined with the natural scent of her skin. An intoxicating mix of honey, strawberry, and peppermint.

After a few seconds, she stopped laughing completely and they both stared at each other's eyes, without breaking eye contact. Her cheeks had been tainted with a faint rosy color and her breathing became slower as she found herself sinking in the two dark pools that were looking at her intensely. Without realizing it her breathing gradually stopped and so as not to faint, her lips parted, inhaling the oxygen.

His Adam's apple moved and his eyes fell on her lips and for a few moments, he couldn't tear his gaze away from the soft, pinkish flesh. He leaned in even closer and Aurora felt panic overwhelm her, as her heartbeat and pulse increased altogether. His hands wrapped around her wrist even tighter, making her blood circulation stop and her chest slightly rose. He put his lips next to her near, almost touching her, and his hot breath sent a tickling sensation down her spine.

"If you ever do that again, I will cut off your hands myself," he murmured and abruptly took a step back. 

Aurora took a few seconds to realize what had happened and instantly recomposed herself.

She cleared her throat and her eyes mimicked his, narrowing and sending him a glare. "And if you come this close again, I will cut off yours," she said curtly and he bit back a smirk. She walked past him, picking up the- well, _her_ dust wand, and went to the shelf she wanted to dust off. He opened his mouth to retort but she cocked her head to his direction, raising an eyebrow challengingly. 

He took a deep breath, exhaling with his mouth, and walked over to the unwanted shelf. Aurora grinned victoriously. 

She always got what she wanted in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the small chapter but in my defense, I have little time left between homework and school. But I promise that the next one will be bigger :)


	9. Slug party

The trip to Hogsmeade was something Aurora had long planned with Belle Blaise and one of the few things she was actually looking forward to.

But the news that a few students were found injured under uncertain circumstances, had brought their and everyone's plans to a halt as the whole school was forbidden from visiting the village until the culprit was found. According to the Heads, she heard that they were four muggle-born girls and boys, that had the word " _Mudblood_ " carved on their skin multiple times with a hex so strong, that even the nurse couldn't find a way to reverse it. The most peculiar thing about the case was that after doing some magic tracking, the Headmaster and Merrythought traced the hex in the wands of the injured, therefore making the search of the culprit (or culprits) an incredibly difficult task. 

Her steps were heavy and tardy as she walked towards the Slytherin's Common Room, her beautiful face looking sullen. Now that she couldn't go to Hogsmeade, consequently, she couldn't buy a new dress from Zona's Witchwear which meant that she had nothing to wear for Slughorn's party this evening. As she walked past a group of Gryffindor's, they cast her a wary look and continued to whisper.

 _"And who says that it wasn't a Slytherin that tortured them? She and her friends all have that mighty look..."_ Was among the things she heard the obnoxious looking girl, with the freezy hair say. She instantly stopped walking, and her nostrils flared in anger. She turned around, and approached them, her eyes shooting daggers.

"If you have anything to tell me, show the hypothetical Gryffindor bravery and say it to my face, King," she hissed at the girl. The three boys surrounding her straightened their backs and stood in front of her almost protectively, making Aurora want to roll her eyes. 

Alissa King lifted her chin and looked into Aurora's eyes. "I don't have anything to tell you Volant. But perhaps the poor four kids have?" she suggested with a bleak voice, making the young Slytherin clench her fists. 

"Are you accusing me of something?" she snapped at her. "Because we all know the punishment for false accusations and I, as a Perfect, will be more than happy to be the one to deliver it to you," her voice had taken an icy tone and she congratulated herself for maintaining her composure and not attacking her with the first hex that came to her mind. But years of practice did make perfect after all.

"Oh, please," she chuckled and rolled her eyes. "As everyone in the castle doesn't know that it was a Slytherin's doing. Perhaps not yours," she admitted, " but what about your boyfriend and his friends?" she scoffed.

" _How dare you?_ " Aurora hissed and ignoring her inner instinct telling her not to, she pulled out her wand.

"Volant, watch it," A tall, dark-haired scrawny boy told her and raised his hand, putting it between the wand and his friend.

"Step out of my way Potter," she snapped impatiently. "King has decided to accuse my friends of a crime they didn't commit." Alissia pulled out her wand as well and looked at the boy meaningfully. Reluctantly, Potter backed off, leaving the two girls to face each other. Alissa leaned it and smiled.

"I see you true nature shows," she raised an eyebrow at the young Volant. "Taking out your wand at the first insult... how _Slytherin_ of you." But Aurora's face didn't falter. She leaned in as well and her eyes were devilishly glinting.

"And how _Gryffindor_ of you to challenge a Perfect," she whispered to her. Then she took a step back and looked at the small group, straightening her back. " Fifteen points each for your false accusations and detention for you King. Those trophies are surely in need of a good polishing," she smirked at the dumbfounded faces of her peers. Ignoring their protests, she walked away feeling better and almost forgetting her irritation about her canceled trip.

As she turned on her left, her mind unwittingly replayed what that stupid girl had told her.

It was true that Aurora and her friends had little tolerance for people they considered below them and she had never associated herself with a muggle-born. She actually needn't, as her inner circle consisted of people she had been brought up with -minus Tom of course, but since he was a Slytherin and a pureblood it didn't matter- but nonetheless, people with a place in the Sacred Twenty-Eight list, a great fortune, and the most important thing; the same ideals about blood purity and supremacy that they would pass on to their kids respectively one day. It was a given- something that Aurora never gave much thought about until today.

To what extent would she go to defend her beliefs?

Certainly not torture. Undoubtedly not killing.

She couldn't imagine committing such severe crimes and tainting her name for people inferior to her; that simply gave them more attention. And besides, despite her frequent thoughts about hexing people, Aurora wasn't the type to torture and enjoy it. She would be dammed if she could say that she had even ever gotten into a fight. And what had happened, even if it had occurred to muggle-borns, was sick and she couldn't help but shiver at the thought that someone so twisted was living among them in the castle.

Perhaps the repulsion to violence was something she had developed after seeing that her father was sent to Azkaban due to his hatred towards muggles and their children that had magical abilities. She was sure that if he hadn't been caught, Francis would raise her with the belief that it was alright to torment others, as long as they were " _mudbloods_ ".

At times like these, Aurora couldn't help but feel grateful to her mother. Salome had always advised her against cruelty. " _If you don't like someone, just ignore them_ ," were her words and it included people of all social and blood statuses. Of course, her reasons had nothing to do with being an utterly altruistic person; she just wanted her daughter to be as pleasant a character as she could, so as to make her a wanted bride. 

But that Gryffindor wench had also accused her friends.

She scowled and thin lines appeared on her temples. With her, she couldn't imagine any of her friends either. Her cousin and his best-friend Ares may have been the reason why her House constantly lost points due to their incessant mischiefs but she could barely recall a time when they had gotten in serious trouble for attacking other students. On the other hand, her bookworm friend, Sebastian, was the epitome of a romantic young gentleman that had girls in all Houses swooning at his feet. She didn't even bother to think about Elroy- she knew her boyfriend better than he knew himself. He would barely do as much as harm a butterfly.

And lastly Tom. Aurora breathed out heavily at the thought of him. Her confusing, endearing, secretive best friend. She shook her head violently. No, Tom Riddle would never intentionally hurt someone. She knew him better than that. She was simply being ridiculous by taking that idiotic Gryffindor's words to her heart.

She huffed loudly and changed the subject of her thoughts.

Her _quest_ for finding a dress she liked and would be suitable seemed a safe topic. 

She cast the corridor a side glance, out of habit, and froze in her spot perplexed and intrigued. The wall on her left seemed to move slightly until a door formed. Blinking rapidly for a few moments, she hesitantly approached it and pulled the knob, curiosity getting the best out of her. Aurora walked inside and her eyes widened slightly at the sight before her.

Dozens- if not hundreds- of dresses, varying in colors, lengths, and textures were hanging in front of her, tempting her to touch them and try them on. With a swift move, she closed the door behind her and her fingers traced a dark burgundy one, made of silk. She debated for a few minutes with herself, whether or not it was appropriate for her to put something on provided by a random room on the seventh floor. Her pride was too big to accept something offered to her for free but her need to look flawless was bigger.

 _What is this room anyway?_ She thought and her fingers sunk in the shiny material of a dress. Seeing that there was no place for her to hide behind and change, she got undressed right there. The skirt fell on the floor, creating a small dark pool and after that, she took off her sweater, the green tie, the white shirt, and of course her stockings. Glancing her silhouette in a mirror, she smiled briefly, proud of the way she looked, now that she regularly skipped on the breakfast and desserts. If she continued like this, Salome would have nothing to tell her by the time she returned to the Manor. Still grinning, she slipped on the first dress and twirled around herself.

 _Not bad_ , she thought. The dark burgundy dress clung to her bust -hinting that she had bigger _assets_ than she actually had- and the rest of the skirt fell freely on the floor. The halter-strap neckline didn't make her look too vulgar but she didn't like it. It was pretty, undoubtedly, but not the one that she felt like she would gladly wear, It looked more like something Salome would pick out for her.

With a sigh, she took it off and carefully placed it on the velvet chaize longue. The next fifteen dresses were not much likable either. Now frustrated, she tossed the last black dress on the ground and shot her reflection a glare through the mirror. Deciding that she had simply lost her time with the fittings, she kneeled to grab her stockings and the rest of her school uniform. As she was searching for her left shoe, she stumbled upon a dress she hadn't noticed before. 

Her green eyes shined with mischief as she examined the piece of clothing that she was now holding. She had finally found it.

***

When Aurora returned, it was past seven in the evening. 

The boys were sitting in the common room, each immersed in their own little world. Tom was as usual studying and writing something, Abraxas and Ares were arguing about Quidditch while drinking the firewhisky Sebastian was pouring for them. Elroy was doing nothing, sitting in a corner, looking completely lost in his thoughts. Upon entering, everyone's eyes snapped on her curiously. She hid the dress she had wrapped up behind her and smiled.

"Good evening, gentlemen," she greeted them and leaned against the wall. 

"Where have you been? I thought the trip to Hogsmeade was canceled?" Elroy asked her with a raised eyebrow, eyeing the package. She cleared her throat and decided that for now, with the presence of a few other students, she didn't want to reveal the secret room she had discovered. So, she showed them the wrapped up dress and a smile tugged on her lips. 

"Oh, this? Something my mother sent me. But I also got caught up with a few Gryffindors..." she explained what had happened and the boys listened to her with disdain clear in their eyes about them. But Tom didn't seem to be listening at all. Apparently, his essay was far more interesting.

"Won't you get in trouble for taking so many points?" Sebastian asked with worry in his voice, but she shrugged it off.

"Oh, please," she scoffed. "Dumbledore gives them points if they so much as breathe. But I particularly enjoy the prospect of King scrubbing the trophies," she added with a sinister smirk. They chuckled lightly.

"You should have given Potter detention as well," Ares said and brought his glass to his mouth. She laughed and straightened her back.

"Shouldn't you all be getting ready for Slughorn's party?" she asked, and a small yawn formed on her lips. Elroy stretched out his hand for her and pulled her on his lap, his arms wrapping around her waist.

"You look like you could use some sleep," he joked and she poked him slightly in the ribs with her elbows. He laughed and kissed her on the neck, making the small group groan in unison. At that, Tom lifted his eyes from his scroll and looked at them unamused. 

"I would appreciate it if you kept your hands to yourself, instead of on my cousin," Abraxas complained and Aurora stuck out her tongue to him mockingly.

"He is just bitter that his dad is setting him up with Elizabeth Meliflua," Aurora pointed out and Ares laughed loudly.

"Eliza- _ha_ -beth Meliflua," he said between his laughs, and the look Abraxas shot him was icy. Involuntarily, Sebastian chuckled as well, and even Tom's lips curled up in a faint smile.

"Shut the fuck up," he growled and grabbed the firewhiskey bottle from his hands."There is nothing wrong with Lizzie," he defended her, and his usually pale face tainted with a furious red color.

"Aww, look at little Braxy getting all shy," Seb teased him, and a giant chess pawn was what the young blond threw in this direction. Just before it hit him, Tom raised his wand and made it stop midway. Abraxas shot Tom a frustrated look but he ignored him, going back to whatever he was doing. Sebastian raised a middle finger to Abraxas and chuckled to himself.

Aurora turned her head around and gave her boyfriend a brief kiss. "I have to go and get ready," she murmured against his lips and he nodded. 

"I will meet you at the stairs," he said and his fingers stroked her cheek, before letting her go. They stood up together their hands entwined. She smiled and after looking him in the eye for a few seconds, she walked away. 

Elroy stood there for several moments, her scent lingering in the air, before returning to his seat. They waited for a few moments until the last person also left the common room, and Tom lifted his head from his book, putting it aside. With a flick of his fingers, he motioned them to sit close to him and he put a silencing charm around them. When his eyes fell on them, his stare was cold, with fury making them glint. His lips sealed into a tight line and his fingers played with his glass of firewhiskey.

"Funny how the Gryffindor half-blood was so accurate in her accusations, unbeknown to her," he hissed and his grip tightened around the glass.

"Um, Riddle-"

"Don't call me that," he snapped, cutting Ares's sentence off. The dark-haired boy gulped and nodded curtly.

"I apologize," he mumbled. "My _Lord_ ," he corrected himself, forcing his lips to utter the title, "but no one saw us. And no one will suspect us," he said and shared a look with the rest. Tom raised an eyebrow and Ares realized his mistake as someone had _actually suspected_ them.

"They don't have proof thought," Abraxas said quietly and a sigh of relief left Ares's lungs.

"Both are correct," Sebastian stepped in for his friends. "Besides we can always alter someone else's memories and trick them into believing that they did it," he said and Abraxas huffed, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

Murmurs of agreement followed his statement. Tom's face, however, turned into a scowl.

"The thing is," he started saying, his tone sending chills, "you should have thought about that beforehand. Now, because of you, the business I had at Hogsmeade was postponed for Merlin knows how long." The menacing tone wasn't missed by anyone.

Silence followed his words and Tom tightened his grasp around the crystal until it suddenly broke, thousands of tiny smithereens falling on the floor and the liquid splashing the robes of the four boys sitting around him. His hand was cut and droplets of blood started dripping from the center of his palm towards the edge of his fingers, and even though the gesture apparently had an effect on the others, his face remained unfazed. He watched as the blood tainted the floor and a dangerous smile rose on his lips, equal to the look in his onyx eyes. He only felt a sudden wave of pleasure and no pain at all.

He stood up slowly and flickered his wand to put out the silencing charm. "Take care of the matter tonight. The faster you do so, the more of the party you can attend or otherwise..." he trailed off, raising his bloody hand, and walked away, leaving behind his supposed friends mortified.

The metallic smell of the blood was alluring, but he guessed that spilling _mudblood_ blood would be far more entertaining. 

***

Aurora looked at herself in the mirror and fixed her hair for the fifth time in the last three minutes. 

"You look smashing," the smooth voice of her friend, Belle, said and she turned around with a smile. Miss Zabini herself was dressed in a dark lilac dress that reached the floor, with a playfully open neckline and black heels that accentuated her already tall frame. Her dark hair was done in an elegant chignon and her kohled eyes were looking captivating. Aurora raised an eyebrow and helped her put on her amethyst necklace around her neck.

"Look who's talking," she mused and grabbed her hand to twirl her around. The girls laughed at their childish antics. "Come on," she told her and they walked out of their chambers, their arms linked. Their friendly chat was cut short upon meeting with a fellow classmate, dressed in a gorgeous black dress that clung to her body, the curves she proudly carried, showing. Belle rolled her eyes- Aurora did not. She couldn't help but admit that Jasmine Parkinson, once again, looked breathtaking.

"Volant, Zabini," she greeted them. "How very pleasant to see you," she said, her voice insinuating she hadn't meant a word of what she had uttered.

"I wish I could say the same," Aurora told her. To that, the young Parkinson huffed but smirked nonetheless. "Got a date?" She asked before she could help herself, curiosity getting the best out of her.

"No one is worthy of my companionship in this castle," she snapped. To that Aurora almost raised an eyebrow. Did that include Tom Riddle as well?

"That's a nice way of saying that no one offered to take you to the party," Belle said softly, a smile threatening to appear on her face. Aurora bit the inside of her cheek and waited for her response. But Jasmine acted as if she hadn't spoken at all.

"Nice dress, Volant. How risqué of you," she mused and her eyes traveled from her head to her toes. "Anyway, see you around," she told them and walked away not downstairs but towards the boy's chambers.

The two girls shared a meaningful look and shrugged their shoulders. Jasmine had always been a person that avoided other people, rarely got into their business but her presence had always made Aurora feel uncomfortable. She sighed and changed the train of her thoughts. She was perfectly confident a few moments ago and she hadn't even used the Calming Draught; there was no reason to make herself feel like shit.

They walked down the stairs and Aurora noticed that her Elroy was nowhere to be seen. She looked at the clock on the wall. It was exactly a few minutes before the time they had agreed on. 

"Oh, I see Lucas," Belle said and turned around to face her friend. "Do you mind..." her voice trailed off in hesitance, but Aurora flashed her a reassuring smile.

"Of course, B, go on," she urged her and the girl left a quick kiss on her cheek, careful not to leave lipstick stain, and walked towards her date. That left Aurora alone in the common room, not knowing what exactly to do. Go alone? Or wait for him a few more minutes? 

"Eager to go?" A familiar deep voice startled her from behind and a gasp left her lips.

She turned around, her jade eyes boring into his onyx ones, and slapped him on the arm. "You need to stop doing that," she scolded him.

"Stop doing what exactly?" he asked, smirking, and she laughed lightly. She cast him a quick glance and confirmed that he indeed looked dashing in a suit and with a proper hairstyle. She looked at the clock again and bit her lower lip.

"Do you have any idea where Elroy is?" she asked him, a hint of worry in her tone and Tom tore his gaze away from her body and looked at her face. 

"Interesting," he mumbled and she blinked confused.

"Pardon?" 

"Oh, I meant your dress. It is intere- it becomes you," he quickly corrected himself, realizing that he didn't make sense. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks and she smiled at him, thanking him for the compliment.

Indeed, the silver floor-length dress looked as if it had been sewed for Aurora specifically. It had an enormous slit on the one leg, starting from the middle of her thighs to the end, showing off her creamy legs. Her back was bare, only thin chains holding the two sides together, and the neckline was deep, for the first time making him notice a tiny birthmark on the right side of her chest. He had never seen such a dress on a girl before. Feeling like he had been starring at her shamelessly, he cleared his throat and his eyes met hers, an amused gaze lingering.

 _Too bad she has to die_ , he thought.

"Finished looking at me Riddle?" she asked him playfully, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. He rolled his eyes momentarily annoyed and his mouth twitched.

"Don't let my one compliment get into your head Volant," he snapped and walked past her. She ignored him.

"I will ask you again then; have you seen my boyfriend?" she asked him instead and he turned around.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Yes, and he told me he would be late. So, I offered to take you to the party and he will come... _later_ ," he added thoughtfully. She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off. "And before you ask, no. I don't know what he had to do," he said knowing that he was cultivating a feeling of confusion and doubt between the couple. _Better, no need to be surrounded by euphoric couples_ , he thought with disgust.

"I see," she said quietly. Her expression fell and she looked down, biting her lower lip, a habit he had found incredibly annoying. "You don't have to come with me Tom," she added after a few moments. "I will be fine on my own. Go with your date," she flashed him a reassuring smile and he exhaled loudly.

"As of now, I am your date whether you like it or not. So, shall we?" he offered her his arm and she smiled defeated. 

Her fingers wrapped around his bicep and they walked out of the common room together. He didn't say anything else and she was thankful for that, as it gave her a chance to think in-depth without any distractions. It didn't make any sense that Elroy would stand her up when no less than an hour and a half they had agreed to go together. What had happened so important in the meantime? Tom hadn't mentioned any of their friends getting injured. What if-

 _No_ , she denied it instantly. She wanted to slap her hand against her forehead for her ridiculous thoughts. Elroy Rosier was not the type to cheat. She was tempted to ask Tom about it, but then again, boys were always secretive when it came to their friends. She suppressed a sigh and made a mental notice to start observing her boyfriend more closely.

They walked into the party and right at the entrance a man stood with a camera in his hands.

"Pose!" he ordered them and she noticed that it wasn't just her who was confused. Aurora, as she had been trained by her mother, instantly knew how to pose but Tom seemed, probably for the first time in his life, awkward. The man pulled a string and a flaring light almost blinded them both. "Off you go," he told them, motioning them to move as another couple was standing right behind them. Still dizzy from the abrupt light, she followed Tom without looking where they were going.

"I hate photos," he suddenly said and she looked at him pouting.

"Why?"

He shrugged his shoulders and took two glasses of champagne from a floating tray. He offered her one and she took it gladly. "I don't know," he said in the end. "I just find them useless."

She huffed in response. "Useless? They depict good moments of your life, Tom. Memories you can look at any time," she argued and drank from her drink. He looked at her mockingly and opened his mouth to retort but Slughorn, who was approaching them, spoke and cut him off.

"Ah, my two favorite students," he said cheerfully, obviously a little drunk. "Aurora dear, you look dashing," he told her and she chuckled. "And you Tom..." he trailed off his eyes darting between the two. "Don't you two make a couple for sore eyes," he said in the end and both coughed, unexpecting the statement.

"Professor-" "We are friends," "I have a boyfriend," they said at the same time frantically, which made the old man laugh.

"I was simply joking," he said smiling. "Don't take an old man's words to heart unless..." he trailed off chuckling once again. "Do have fun. The band will be playing until morning- although I think I forgot to mention that to Dippet," he said and winked conspiratorially before walking away.

The two young Slytherins looked at each other and she was the first to laugh. Unwittingly, Tom smiled as well. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't stop laughing at the fact that the boys call him "my Lord"😭


	10. Silencing Charm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize beforehand for my inability to write smut.

Aurora, as usually when attending parties, quickly found herself to be bored out of her mind.

Sipping on the fifth glass of her champagne, with Tom talking (more like sucking up) to Slughorn and none of her friends -and boyfriend- in sight, she regretted coming to the party soon enough. The band had been playing slow waltz songs for a while now, but no one bothered to dance and the few boys that had dared to approach her, were discouraged from her uninterested and almost hostile looks she shot them.

Her eyes glanced at the clock on the wall; it was just an hour before midnight. Taking the last sip from her glass, she decided it was her time to leave, and felt irritation flow through her blood at the fact that she had spent so much time worrying about an appropriate dress for a party that would prove to be such a waste of time. As she was about to approach her potions professor and her friend, the door flew open and a familiar group of boys walked in, unbothered at the fact that they were several hours late.

She stopped walking and turned her body to their direction, her jade eyes narrowing dangerously and her lips twitching in disapproval. Upon seeing her, they first smiled but then, when they realized that she was not exactly happy to see them, their expression fell.

Elroy was the first to approach her, with swift steps. The rest scattered around the room, trying to blend in nonchalantly. 

"Rori-"

" _Where have you all been?_ " She cut him off curtly. "Scratch that- where the bloody hell have _you_ been?" Her eyes were shooting daggers in his direction and she felt the alcohol kick in mixed with her fury which was not a good combination. "I was waiting for you-"

"You are angry," he cut her off, his fingers playing with his glass and his tone, the vague and indifferent statement, reminded her of Tom; which only added to her irritation.

"Of course I bloody am," she snapped, keeping her voice low. He looked at her with guilt clear in his amber-colored eyes. 

"I-I apologize first of all," he started saying, his voice no longer hazy but soft, and unwittingly she felt the cold armor she had built melt. Her hands remained stiff but her gaze was no longer accusatory- only intrigued. She sighed and snatched another glass from a floating tray.

"Well? Is that all you have to tell me?" she asked him and fought the urge to roll her eyes. 

He shook his head and took a step forward. "No," he told her in a quiet tone. "I-there was a situation that Brax, Seb, and I had to deal with," he stopped to take a sip and Aurora cut in, not missing the fact that he had omitted to mention Ares.

"May I ask what situation?" She inquired with a gentler tone.

Her mother had always told her that if she wanted information out of a man, she shouldn't be harsh with him but friendly and as feminine as she could. At the time she had dismissed her advice with an eye roll but seeing how guarded and vague Elroy was at the moment, she thought that it would not hurt anyone to put the theory into practice. Her crimson-colored lips formed a pout and she subtly leaned in.

Elroy's eyes fell on her lips and he looked at her as if he had seen her for the first time. He took a better look at the dress, almost forgetting that he had been asked a question. 

"You look gorgeous," he told her affectionately and his hand grabbed hers to twirl her. She chuckled and her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling his face as close as she could to hers.

"Thank you," she told him with a low voice, "but that doesn't answer my question darling," she raised an eyebrow and he planted a kiss on her lips.

"I will tell you- but it would be a crime not to dance first," he told her and offered her his hand.

Having no other choice, she accepted and they made their way to the middle of the room. Without breaking eye contact, he placed one hand on her waist, the silk tickling his skin, and pulled her closer to his body, mentally cursing Riddle and the fact that he had no choice but to follow his commands and not spend the whole evening with his beautiful girl.

As they had been both taught dancing at an early age, the couple had no trouble following the rhythm of the music and they danced for a few minutes in silence.

As the new song started playing, he decided to speak, choosing to say only half of the truth.

"Ares," he started saying and the young woman looked at him confused. Automatically, her eyes searched for her friend and found him drinking in a corner, looking too buoyant than he would normally. "He received an owl from his father. He is apparently _engaged_ ," he said with a sigh.

"But his mom is alive!" she exclaimed confused and Elroy shook his head.

"I meant Ares. Ares is engaged," he said and twirled her around, the dress showing off her legs. He pulled her closer to him and let his fingers trail on her back. Ignoring the butterflies in her stomach, she focused on what he had told her.

"Who is the bride?" she asked after some consideration, furrowing her eyebrows. Arranged marriages were not an uncommon practice for their kind of people, especially when two purebloods were of the same age. She was lucky that she was actually smitten with Elroy or otherwise she would most probably end up like her mother; dreading the slightest mention of her husband.

Elroy's lips twitched. "Ariadne Goyle," he replied and she almost choked on her saliva.

"But she is...young" she huffed in disbelief, not knowing what else to say. "I don't think she is even fourteen yet!"

The few times she had happened to meet the Goyles, they had given her the impression that they kept their darling daughter as guarded against the outer world as they could, going as far as to even choose to tutor her at home instead of sending her to Hogwarts or any other educational institution. She wouldn't be surprised if someone told her that Ariadne was still playing with her dolls or that the only males she had ever talked to were her brothers and her father.

Her boyfriend sighed again and closed his eyes for a few seconds tiredly. "I know but his father is adamant that they marry when she is of age and the Goyles have given consent apparently," he said.

"Ares was shocked- he had always thought that he would have a say in who he marries. Not only that, but Mr. Lestrange forbad him from publicly dating other girls until Ariadne will be ready to be wed," he spat out, his jaw clenching and his fingers unconsciously digging further in her skin. 

She felt her heart clench for her friend. "And he didn't take the news well, did he?" she asked the rather obvious question.

Elroy scoffed. "He didn't even read the whole letter. Halfway through he threw it away and stated that he would rather be disowned than marry someone he had only heard about and never seen in his life. Which is exactly what his father wrote by the end of his letter. Then he went and drowned himself in the firewhiskey stock he had brought from home and declared that he would find a mud- _a muggle-born girl_ and marry her to spite him."

His chin raised to the direction of the dark-haired boy that was drunkenly flirting with Anastasia Philips- a Hufflepuff muggle-born, proving his point. Anastasia, perplexed and undoubtedly flattered was blushing as their friend whispered in her ear.

"Oh, Merlin," she murmured and she bit her lower lip worriedly.

Ares had grown up more spoilt than any person she had ever known- he relied on his wealth and status too much to be considered healthy, even for her standards. If he didn't comply, how would he survive knowing that he had been disinherited from one of the most ancient and wealthy Houses in the wizarding world? Mr. Lestrange wasn't a man one would like to go against to- he could make sure that his son would live the rest of his life as an outcast from society.

In fact, he had already done that with Ares's older brother Icarus, a name everyone refrained from mentioning.

With relief, they both saw Sebastian coming to his aid and dragging him away from the girl. In fact, he dragged him away from the party itself.

"That's why I couldn't manage to come earlier and I can't express how sorry I am to have you kept waiting," he apologized and she shook her head with a smile.

As they stopped dancing, they walked away from the center of the room and she wrapped her arms around him, enveloping him into a tight and comforting embrace. He smelled exactly like he always did- of masculine cologne mixed with freshly cut grass. She felt relaxed in the familiar scent and wanted to chuckle at her previous thoughts. How ridiculous they sounded now...

"It's fine. Ares needed you all- I managed with Tom," she reassured him and he gave her a thankful smile.

But Tom Riddle was precisely what worried Elroy the most and the fact that he had left the two alone crept up an uncanny feeling in his stomach. Not of jealousy- but of fear for her. His Aurora was far too innocent and delicate to be revealed into the ugly and corrupted truth that surrounded her phenomenically flawless friend.

"Do you want to leave?" he asked her noticing her eyes averting from him to the clock. She parted her lips and they curled into a smile. And he couldn't help but marvel at her beauty.

"I have been here for hours. I would have left a while ago hadn't all of you marched in," she said and rolled her eyes.

He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her tiny waist, bringing her once again close to his body.

He raised a hand to cup her cheeks and his fingers brushed against her neck, before resting on her jawline. Her pulse had quickened and she felt the warmth of his body transfer to her. None of them cared that they were in public; everyone was far too drunk and euphoric to care about two teenagers being touchy anyway. Their eyes bored into one another, jade finding comfort in amber, and suddenly the air that surrounded them was not enough for neither. 

She tried to swallow but her throat was dry. "I say we leave now," he whispered speaking out her thoughts and she nodded wordlessly.

The previous feeling had sobered her up completely and looking around, she wondered what the hell was she still doing there. With neither of them saying goodbye to anyone at the party, they walked out of the room keeping a small distance between them, as if they feared that upon touching, something would explode. Halfway through the dungeons, he sensed that he couldn't take it anymore.

He grabbed her wrist and pushed her against a nearby wall, his one arm wrapping around her slender body and his other hand sinking into her long hair.

This kiss was nothing like Aurora had experienced before; he usually kissed her sweetly careful not to hurt her.

But now, they were hard against one another as if wanting to destroy each other's mouths. They swallowed each other's breaths and when she parted her lips momentarily, that was all he needed; his tongue brushed her lower lip, slightly bitting it and a small moan escaped from her lungs. Impatient, she pulled his face closer to hers, now fully capturing his mouth and she didn't know how long they kissed. It could have been a few seconds or a few minutes.

What mattered was the sudden realization that simply kissing was not enough. She felt a ferocious desire for something more than this.

They broke off and they stared at each other, lust and hunger making both look foreign. Elroy could taste the flavor of her lipstick in his mouth and he felt that the only thing he could smell from now on was honey and strawberries. She was the first to speak although her voice was no louder than the silence itself. 

"I think..." she trailed off and he nodded. 

"Yeah," and with that, he pulled her in for another kiss.

But his lips traveled northern this time, almost stroking her jawline and then even lower before finding a pounding spot on her neck. This time, they broke off with far greater difficulty than the previous time and they said the password to the door at the entrance of the Slytherin's dungeons in haste, mixing it with the one they had used the previous month.

Once they were in, Elroy stopped walking and put both of his hands on her waist. "Jump," he told her and she did as she was told, wrapping her legs around his torso. Annoyed that she would have to wait, she pressed her lips on his neck, mimicking his previous actions and hoping he would find it enjoyable.

As her lips traced his neck, they rested a little lower than where his ear was and she started sucking softly. She heard him swallow hard and with a smirk, she continued her work. He opened a door and the cool air of the room made goosebumps appear on her skin. The door closed behind them and he put her on the ground, her lips still on his neck.

As his frame was towered over her, she could barely reach the spot she had made a light red mark appear and so, instead, he lowered his head to her height and kissed her. Simultaneously, his fingers ripped off the straps of the dress and she was growing irritated at the fact that his shirt had so many buttons. 

The dress fell on the floor creating a silver lake and she stood there, dressed only in her underwear, feeling somewhat fragile and exposed. But she didn't have time to think about it when her eyes fell on his bare chest. She took some time for her eyes to adjust to the sigh in front of her. Her fingers traced the slim muscles and she felt him shiver at her cold touch.

Without losing any more time, he scooped her up in his arms and threw her on the bed, his body resting almost on top of her, careful not to squeeze her. He got rid of the shirt completely and focused on the beautiful girl in front of him that was watching him with lips parted, cheeks flushed, and desire clear in her jade-colored orbs. 

He leaned down, their noses touching and his fingers traveled from her neck to the valley of her chest. "Love," he started saying, his voice husky "are you sure?" he asked her, not wanting her to be forced into anything she would later regret.

She looked almost offended at this question and greedily nodded. His hand reached even lower, to her abdomen. "I want your verbal consent Aurora," he said again, his fingers circling around her heated spot and a shaky breath left her lips.

She didn't just want whatever this would be; she bloody needed it. "Y-es. I want to," she choked out the words, as his thumb caressed once again the spot where it ached the most. He unclasped her bra with ease and just like the rest of their clothes, it got lost somewhere in the room. His pupils dilated at the sight of her and his tongue brushed over his lower lip.

"Very well," he replied with a smirk that had nothing to do with the usual Elroy, and his tongue darted from her neck down to her left breast.

Aurora inhaled sharply as she felt his lips round around her nipple. A soft cry left her lips as he sucked on it and her fingers tangled with the soft brown curls. He looked at her behind his eyelashes and he instantly reached for her swollen lips that were no longer red from the lipstick. Her nails dug in his shoulders and she put a finger in front of his mouth.

"Please," she whispered, not knowing exactly what she was begging for.

He sat up on the bed and started undoing his belt, making Aurora grow in frustration. With a swift move, she helped him and in the back of her mind, someone asked her when she had grown so confident and determined. She dismissed the voice and focused on the task in front of her. He got rid of the trousers and instead of kissing her on the lips like she would have expected, he moved away from her upper body, placing himself between her legs.

Not exactly knowing what he would do, she looked at him with anticipation and yearning. He parted her thighs and out of instinct, she glued them back together. He looked at her softly and she felt the tension leave her body. 

He was Elroy, the boy she had known her whole life, and he would never hurt her. What was she scared of?

"No-uh," he told her in a low voice, and his fingers quickly ripped off her knickers with dexterity.

With hesitation mixed with newfound curiosity, she freed her muscles and his hands parted legs once again, his fingers stroking her inner thigh. "Just relax," he spoke again in a voice she didn't recognize. "You will love this."

And he wasn't wrong.

***

Aurora woke up a few hours before dawn, feeling oddly content, and her lower abdomen sore as if she had lifted too much weight. Throughout the years, she had inevitably heard girls talk about _it_ a lot of times, and even though she knew the pain was unavoidable, still, she hadn't expected to feel as if a carriage had run over her lower part of her body.

She carefully disentangled herself from Elroy's arm that was wrapped around her waist and looked at him with a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. 

_He was hers and hers only._ Aurora couldn't deny the fact that she was extremely possessive when it came to people or things she cherished and she felt as if what had happened between the two, had somehow marked him permanently as hers.

He was laying on his chest, naked, the nail marks she had unconsciously left last night looking a little bloody on his back. She bit her lower lip guiltily and hoped that at least he wouldn't feel pain once he would wake up.

She raised her hand and her fingers traced along his face as gently as she could and she pushed a curl from his forehead. He moved slightly and Aurora bit back a chuckle.

She knew that her boyfriend was a heavy sleeper and it was oftentimes a teasing subject among the friend group.

Placing a gentle kiss on his forehead, she stood up, taking her time to stretch and her eyes wandered around the room, in an attempt to find whatever was left from her clothes.

She spotted her shoes -one on the nightstand and the other under the bed- and her bra was thankfully left intact. She couldn't say the same about her panties and she narrowed her eyes briefly at her sleepy boyfriend. With a little difficulty, she leaned down and grabbed her dress, slipping it on. The straps were ripped but she had no energy to cast any repairing spell and so instead, she reached for Elroy's shirt, putting it on top of it. The clothing combination was weird but she couldn't bother with that fact at the moment.

After making sure that she hadn't left anything behind, she opened the door of his chambers and went out in the empty hallway.

She thanked Merlin for the layout of their rooms- she had once heard that Gryffindors shared chambers with multiple classmates. Slytherins however had only one roommate and Elroy's hadn't come back- another thing she was grateful for. Wondering who he was sharing the room with and finding it odd that she had never asked him about it, she climbed up the stairs leading to her own chamber. 

As Aurora waltzed in, she noticed that it wasn't simply her that had stayed out for the night- Belle's bed was also empty. With a sly smile on her lips, she picked up her vanity case, a new set of clothes, and anything else that she needed and went out again. Casting an invisibility charm on herself, she got out of the Slytherin's dungeons and strolled off towards the fifth floor, taking more time than usual. She stopped in front of the statue of Boris the Bewildered and made herself visible again.

" _Mermaid hair_ ," she uttered the password and watched as the door opened right into the Perfect's Bathroom.

She placed her things on the ground and looked around satisfied. With slow movements, she started undressing - _again_ , her mind added mischievously- and let the white shirt and the dress fall right at her feet. She pointed her wand at the tub and water started filling in the pool-sized bath. After dropping some essence and her favorite bath salt, she watched the bubbles rise up.

The moment she sunk in the warm water, she closed her eyes and leaned against the walls of the tub. 

She had obviously no regrets about last night. In fact, she had recently started feeling that it was bound to happen at some point. Although she had to admit that the process itself wasn't the most pleasant (his mouth could do wonders on the other hand), he had been caring all night long and making sure that she wouldn't feel any more pain than the unavoidable. Just before Elroy had drifted off to sleep, he had promised her that the next time would be better.

She snorted and with a hazy smile, she wondered what his opinion would be if she brought him here for that. As her cheeks flushed at her thoughts, she suddenly heard a noise and her eyes shot up open.

She turned her head around rapidly, lowering her body in the water and the bubbles so as to hide her naked body from whoever had walked in.

"Uh- Tom?" she asked dumbfoundedly but he didn't seem far from that exact same reaction. He looked as if he had seen a dragon and his shocked face was almost comical. The moment she spoke he turned around, his back facing her. She could see that his hands were clenched.

"I will- never mind," he mumbled, and before she could register what had happened, he had left the bathroom as unexpectedly and he had barged in.

Had it been any other occasion, she would have laughed at the fact that she saw him awkward, perhaps for the first time since they had met. But this situation only made her groan and cringe. She finished bathing with accelerated moves and when she was dressed in her school robes, she stepped out.

Tom was leaning against the statue, his face unreadable. The moment he saw her, he avoided her gaze, opting to look somewhere behind her.

"I didn't see anything," he said first, his tone defensive and she suppressed the hysteric chuckle that threatened to leave her lips.

"I know," she assured him. "Although, I didn't expect to see anyone this early..." she trailed off and scratched the back of her neck. His eyes darted from whatever he had been gazing at to capture hers and his lips pursed in a tight line.

"I could say the same about you," he spoke coldly. "I guess the events of last night kept you up?" He crossed his arms over his chest and her naturally pale face, became waxen. 

"Huh?" she asked, her eyes widening and he huffed.

Unexpectedly enough, took a few steps forward, standing only a few centimeters away from her. He raised his hand and his index finger brushed off the moist locks from her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. His finger trailed from the base of her neck, higher until he reached a spot. Confused as to what he was doing, she wanted to step away but something had glued her on the spot, rendering her unable to move. He leaned in and his lips almost brushed her ear as he spoke.

"Next time you and Rosier decide to engage in _intimate_ activities, make sure to use a silencing spell first. There is no need for the entire House to know," he whispered and Aurora's face went from being white to a bright crimson color. He ignored her mortified look and walked past her, their shoulders slightly touching. The door behind him closed abruptly, leaving her alone in the empty hallway.

For a few moments, she had stopped breathing.

Then a groan escaped from her lips as she buried her face in her hand. The thought of using a silencing charm hadn't even crossed their minds, as they were so caught up in the moment and the embarrassment she felt at the moment couldn't be described with words. As she walked into the Slytherin common room, she decided that it would be best to skip breakfast and not face her friends and classmates. It didn't take her a lot to imagine the comments Sebastian and Ares would make.

She also made a mental notice to talk about it with Elroy.

Her eyes fell on the mirror and she approached it with wary eyes. At the sight of her neck, a gasp left her lips.

So, that was what Tom was pointing at.

Her mind tried to think of any spells that would vanish the marks, but nothing came to her mind.

_Great, now I will have to ask the nurse for help and she will know as well_ , she thought sarcastically. 

With a sigh, she fell on her bed, fully dressed, and closed her eyes once again, now confident that no one unexpected would barge in. Unwittingly, the chuckle she had previously suppressed rose up again in her throat and soon, she found herself laughing at the entire situation.


	11. drunk words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello! I apologize for the wait. I hope all of you are okay <3

Sunday passed in the blink of an eye, the general mood of the group particularly grouchy due to the problem Are's father had posed. 

The young heir of the Lestrange family refused to speak to anyone and had spent half of the day out of the Slytherin's dungeons in an unknown location, not even bothering to show up for dinner. They had collectively agreed to leave him alone for the time being, but she couldn't help but feel worried about Ares, knowing his reckless and stubborn nature. Eventually, much to her relief, Aurora, while attending her Perfect duties, found him near the astronomy tower, hidden away in a corner and drinking for what seemed to be the second half of a firewhiskey bottle.

She carefully approached him and took a seat in front of him wordlessly.

"You are the first one that found me," he pointed out quietly, his voice quite steady considering the amount of alcohol he had consumed. A hazy smile appeared on the corners of his lips and she furrowed her eyebrows, trying to reach for the bottle.

"And you are going to develop some sort of addiction if you keep on drinking that as if it's pumpkin juice," she told him softly. Ares let out a sigh, looking at her mockingly, and leaning against the wall, preventing her from snatching the alcohol from his grip.

"Just like you have with whatever's in that purple bottle?" A gasp left her lips and in response, he chuckled. "Don't worry your secret's safe," he winked at her and brought the firewhiskey bottle to his lips.

" _Ares_! I am not addicted to the Calming Draught, for Merlin's sake!" she exclaimed but he rolled his eyes mumbling something incomprehensible under his breath. "It just... refrains me from overreacting at certain times," she defended herself folding her hands in her lap.

"That's exactly what this does to me," he smirked and she scoffed.

"How did you even notice me? I thought I was discreet," she sighed defeated and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I observe," he simply said and to that, she had nothing to say. For a few moments, neither spoke. The only sound that was heard was Ares's tapping against the glass bottle and their breaths that almost made an echo in the empty hallways. As she opened her mouth to touch the subject that was bothering him, he cut her off. "Please don't," he closed his eyes and put his head against the wall.

"Don't what?" she pretended that she had no idea what he was talking about. 

"You know...pitying and all that," he said making a dismissive motion with his hand. "You and El are lucky, both of you will get married and you can barely keep your eyes off each other. Brax also fancies Elizabeth despite telling us otherwise and Seb..." he trailed off and his Adam's apple moved as he gulped. "I am sure his father will at least give him the luxury of choosing," he opened his eyes and looked at her, a silent complaint flashing past them.

"Ares," she whispered and her hand touched his. He gave her a bitter smile and once again, reached for his bottle.

"And should you ask about _Riddle_ ," he said his name with derisive respect, "if you want my opinion, he's the root of all problems," the words slipped from his mouth in haste and fury. She blinked a few times surprised and unexpecting the sudden attack on her- well, _their_ \- friend. He looked away, staring out of the window into the Forbidden Forest with fake interest and she bit her lower lip lost in her thoughts.

It was definitely unethical and against her morals to take advantage of her drunken friend like that, but in his state, he wouldn't remember telling her anything tomorrow. And whatever he didn't know, wouldn't hurt him. She scooped next to him and stretched out her hand, pointing to the bottle. His eyes snapped at her with curiosity and he arched an eyebrow, somewhat amused. Nevertheless, he complied and Aurora took a small sip from it, feeling the liquid burning her throat as she swallowed it. She wiped her lips with her thumb and chose her words carefully.

"For someone being so close to T- _Riddle_ , I thought you'd speak better of him," she returned the bottle, her eyes, and tone as nonchalant as they could possibly be as if she were merely stating a fact, and his mouth twitched in irritation.

" _Hm_ ," he snorted, "if it was up to me, I would kindly stay the _fuck_ away from him," he said bluntly and angrily, making her widen her eyes. That was not the way friends spoke about each other. If she had been curious before, now she would go to any lengths to get information. She didn't have the time for doubts or moralities when a new question formed in her mind.

"What do you mean A?" she asked gently as he took another sip. A little voice in her head reminded her that instead of interrogating her vulnerable friend about another, she should have been comforting him about his problem. Against her best wishes, she turned off that voice and concentrated on Ares, who was taking his sweet time to reply.

"What I mean is that..." he took a deep breath and shook his head. "He is yet another person my father enforced upon me. Frankly, sometimes I wonder if even you or the others are in my life simply because it was his choice," he let out a humorless chuckle and her tongue ran over her lower lip. That wasn't the answer she was looking for but she could either give up or pressure him a little further. She went with the latter.

"Why would Mr. Lestrange be interested in Tom? And especially _enforce_ him in your life," she stayed completely still looking at him straight in the eye. He looked away and yawned, putting the bottle on the ground. Instead of replying, he rubbed his eyes with his hands and for a few moments, he stayed still. When he didn't speak again, she poked him in the arm. It fell on his thighs lifelessly and she realized that he had actually fallen asleep.

_Bloody perfect_ , she thought sarcastically.

Her only chance to get answers was unconscious and she wasn't sure if he would be willing to give out replies so willingly once he'd be sober. She could vividly recall the scene at the Hogwarts express and their hesitation to utter even one word. Cursing under her breath, she stood up placing her hands on her hips. Now what? She would either have to levitate him back to the dungeons with the risk of both getting caught (and consequently getting detention) or call Tom and both make sure no one would see them. 

Her lips pursed in a tight line and she cast a protective charm on Ares so that he wouldn't hurt himself or be seen by anyone else than her and with that she left the astronomy tower.

"Where is he when you need him?" she asked under her breath and strolled off with quick steps down to the first floor. As she rushed into a corridor, she bumped into someone's hard chest. Irritated she looked up and her eyes bored into a pair of amused hazel ones. "Not now Lovegood," she snapped at the blond Ravenclaw Head Boy who smiled kindly at her.

"Why are you in such a rush? Something's happened?" he asked unbothered by the fact that the young Slytherin was practically shooting daggers at his way. She flipped her dark hair behind her shoulders and her eyes narrowed.

"Nothing that concerns you. Now move out of my way," she said curtly, unbothered by the fact that he was a Head Boy and therefore had more power than her. He crossed his arms over his chest, unwilling to comply.

"Come on Aurora, no need to be so rude," he said, making her roll her eyes. "Besides, you look too worried and annoyed for it to be just nothing," he pointed out, his smile not faltering even after the look she had cast him.

She looked at Augustus Lovegood for a few moments suspiciously.

They had exchanged a few words throughout the years but nothing that would be deemed adequate for them to be considered friends. She had once encountered him at a ball hosted by the Leroy's and she had admittedly found him quite a pleasant company. He was probably the only person from another House that she found somewhat tolerable, despite his constant tranquility and kindness getting on her nerves, especially in moments like this. Notwithstanding that, she considered that Ares, who had spoken so dubiously of Tom, would probably prefer if it wasn't him that carried him back to the dorms. 

"Fine," she said in the end with an exasperated sigh. "But should you tell anyone else or even worse, the professors, I'll-"

"There's no need for that, Aurora. Being a Ravenclaw, I think I am smart enough to know not to take your threats lightly," he said amused and involuntarily a breathy chuckle escaped her lips. She turned around and heard his soft footsteps as he followed her back to the Astronomy Tower.

As she stood in front of her friend, she took off the charms and a sigh escaped Augustus's lips. "What was the occasion?" he asked and took a few steps forward.

"Grab him gently and follow me," she said instead and reached for the two bottles that Ares had placed on the ground. He seemed to have no trouble lifting him up and practically dragging him all the way back to the Slytherin Dungeons, for which she was thankful. She led the way, making sure that they encountered no other Heads or professors.

But as they descended the stairs, they came across him.

And she wasn't even surprised. 

He looked at the unconscious body of Ares indifferently and fixed his gaze on the Ravenclaw with polite interest. "Lovegood," he greeted him, avoiding acknowledging Aurora.

Augustus smiled at the dark-haired boy. "Tom," he greeted him, a little more gleefully than the circumstances required. "Aurora and I were taking Ares to the dungeons. It seems like he had too many a drink," he informed him.

"I can see that," he replied cooly and put his wand in the pocket of his robes. "I'll take him from now. You can go," he told him in a tone that left no room for negotiation, and his fingers wrapped around Ares's shoulders. The young Lestrange mumbled something in his sleep but his eyes remained closed nonetheless.

Augustus winked at her and with a nod towards Tom's direction, he turned around and left. 

An awkward silence followed Augustus's departure. She avoided looking at him as well and instead looked at Ares. "Take him to his chambers. I'll go and patrol the hallways," she said and before he could say anything, she was already climbing up the stairs.

Contrary to what she said, she was in no mood to watch out for kids that refused to abide by the curfew. Instead, she found herself wandering in the corridors of the seventh floor, like she had yesterday, wondering if she could find that bizarre room again. Upon seeing the familiar hallway, she hesitated.

But she wanted to put her theory to test and so, she walked past the place where the door had formed, picturing a quiet place for studying. She waited for a few seconds and seeing that nothing happened, she felt a feeling of disappointment crawling up into her stomach. But it didn't last long as soon, the walls started moving and through a hole, a door formed. A satisfied grin appeared on her lips as she marched towards it, pulling the handle. 

At first, she thought that she had walked into Slytherin's common room. The dark wallpapers and the subtle light illuminating from the fireplace made a familiar scenery, with only the green windows missing. Bookshelves with hundreds of books stood on all sides of the walls and a tray of what seemed to be tea and biscuits were waiting for her on the long mahogany table. With a thud, she fell on the dark leather couch and felt the fire warm her body. She closed her eyes briefly, in contempt, and took off her school robes. She tossed the clothing to a corner, not caring if it would wrinkle. 

So what was this?

In her six years at Hogwarts, she had never once heard students or the professors talk about a room that changed upon one's request or rather _requirements_ at the given moment. She laced her fingers through her hair absent-mindedly and her eyes watched as the flames hungrily ate the woods. Should she tell them or keep it a secret for herself? She debated with this insignificant matter for as long as she could, trying her best not to overthink the way Ares had spoken previously.

To distract herself, she stood up and walked over to a bookshelf, picking a random book. _The PIcture of Dorian Gray_ , she read and with a shrug of her shoulders, she returned to the couch, her back facing the entrance door.

_The studio was filled with the rich odor of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac-_

_I would kindly stay the fuck away from him._

She snapped out of her thoughts when she realized that she had been reading the same sentence of the first paragraph for over five minutes now, unable to concentrate properly, as her mind played over and over again his words. Her nails tapped on the cover page of the book nervously. Chewing the inside of her cheeks, she grabbed her wand and flicked it towards the direction of a gramophone and after a few seconds, she heard the melodic piano music flow in the room. Determined to relax, even if it had to take every inch of her mental strength to do so, she picked up the book again and resumed reading, this time out loud.

Despite feeling stupid, she was glad that she was alone.

" ...A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don’t-"

"- want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them." 

A shrieked scream left Aurora's lips and the book fell from her hands. She immediately cocked her head to the direction of the voice, holding her wand in her trembling hand pointing it to the very amused face of Tom Riddle. With a roll of her eyes, she put it down, and a shaky sigh of relief left her lungs. As she was immersed in the book (who knew muggles could write such compelling pieces?) she hadn't heard him entering the room and sitting on a chair next to the table. She realized that the music was still playing as he had obviously at some point charmed it to play on loop. 

Instant embarrassment heated up her cheeks. Merlin knows how long he had been sitting there, listening to her reading a book out loud.

"You bloody git!" she stood up and marched towards him, giving him a light punch on his chest. He didn't even take a step backward. "My soul left my body," she scolded him but he seemed unbothered. He gave her an unimpressed look and raised his hand, the book flying directly to him. Her breathing was still heavy from the scare, but he acted as if he had walked into their Slytherin's dungeons, not a room that was supposedly unknown by everyone. 

"Interesting choice," he commented, his lip darting over his lower lip. His dark eyes met hers and a faint smirk appeared on his lips. "I find this quote rather...fascinating, don't you think?" he asked innocently and she exhaled loudly, leaning against the table. 

"Not really," she replied. "I think it's disturbing that someone would want to manipulate their emotions so...coldly," her fingers grabbed the edge of the table so tight that her knuckles turned white. He seemed to dwell on her answer and when he finally looked at her, she was surprised to see the disappointment in his eyes. Or was she imaging it?

"I see," he mused and she arched an eyebrow. 

"What are you going here and how long have you been listening to me?" She bit her lower lip nervously, the familiar rush of blood tainting her cheeks with a deep rosy color. 

He put the book on the table, his wrist briefly making contact with hers and he turned his head slightly. She shivered as his cold skin touched hers, but she made no move to step away. Apparently, he wasn't planning on doing so either and so, he turned his head slightly so that their eyes were at the same level and the corner of his lip curled up to a smirk. He put his other hand on the other side of the table, trapping the girl and she froze. 

"You didn't actually think that you are the only one who knows of this room's existence, do you?" he purred and she looked away, avoiding his gaze. Upon seeing her reaction, he let out a throaty chuckle and put his fingers under her chin, commanding her to look at him. "Don't worry. You and I are the only ones that have realized how it works," he added and lowered his hand. She nodded and cleared her throat, trying her best to act as if she didn't have that bizarre conversation with Ares a few hours ago.

"And if I hadn't accidentally discovered it, you wouldn't ever tell me, right?" Her voice was not accusatory but she arched an eyebrow questioningly as if she were stating a fact.

He rolled his eyes. "Would you tell me?" he retorted and she sighed. There was no use in arguing with Tom Riddle unless she wanted for the argument to go on for hours and eventually for them to hex each other. She thought about it and jumped off of the table but he remained in his place, feeling that his piercing gaze could reach the depths of her soul. 

"I would," she said after a few moments, earning a mocking look from him.

She placed her hand on his arm and pushed him, as she tried to step away. As she thought that he had complied, he suddenly grabbed her wrist and turned her around, making her bump into his chest. Taken aback, she blinked a few times and parted her lips to ask him what he was doing. 

"For the record..." he trailed off and raised his other hand to put a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I have been listening to you since Lord Henry and Dorian went out in the garden," he murmured. "You have a nice voice for narrating," he added and let go of her, leaving her with mixed feelings. She hadn't expected a compliment but nonetheless, it brought a smile to her lips. 

"Thank you," she said shyly and watched him taking a seat on the very couch she was previously sitting on. She grabbed the book and returned to her seat, putting distance between her and Tom. "How is Ares?" she asked him, trying to find the page she was reading before he so abruptly interrupted her.

His lips pursed in a tight line. "He will be fine- Rosier and Avery put him in his bed. I had duties to attend unlike others," he narrowed his eyes at her and she brushed him off with an eye-roll. "Let me," he offered, seeing that she couldn't find the page. Aurora reluctantly handed it over and in less than a few seconds, he returned it, with a smug look on his face.

She scowled at him which resulted in his smirk widening. 

"Show off," she mumbled under her breath and he chuckled. 

"I didn't realize you were interested in muggle literature, I must say," he pointed out and leaned against the arm of the couch.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I am not- I just picked the first thing my hand fell on," she said and lifted her eyes from the book. "Besides, I find the name Dorian very pretty and it intrigued me," she added, earning a thoughtful nod from him.

"It's not bad," he agreed. "Much better than Tom anyways," he mumbled, and her pulse quickened at the unexpected confession. She placed the book on a glass table and licked her lower lip.

"I beg to differ," she retorted. "What's wrong with your name?" she asked him and crossed her legs, as she adjusted herself better on the couch. His eyes flickered somewhere behind her for a few seconds before resting on her again. His lip twitched with irritation and she wondered if she had made a mistake when asking him.

"It's my father's name," he said in the end and she waited for him to elaborate. But he didn't and she didn't pressure him.

"Well...If I had been named Salome, I guess I'd dislike my name too," she offered and a faint smile appeared on his lips at her weak attempt to joke. 

"So...will you continue reading the book or I will have to Imperio you?" he asked closing his eyes and she scoffed.

"As if you'd dare," she said with false confidence but deep down she felt that he was capable of that. She wanted to think that he would never offend her like that but she couldn't deny the fact that he was capable enough to produce an Unforgivable Curse with ease.

As if proving her point, he opened his eyes and looked at her challengingly. He chuckled and raised to a sitting position, leaning towards her. She watched him curiously wondering what he was going to do. She almost yelped when he put his finger on her thigh.

"Sit normally," he told her with a low voice, and out of instinct, she uncrossed her legs.

Satisfied, he turned his back on her and put his head on her thighs, his legs now hanging from the couch's arm in a lazy manner and his breath falling on her exposed skin. She could feel her palms sweating and her heart beating so loudly and rapidly, she feared it may fall from her ribcage. She slowly exhaled and inhaled, her chest and body rising and falling in accordance with her breathing and he closed his eyes again, obviously enjoying the proximity and not feeling in the slightest uncomfortable.

As she felt his head pressing her leg bone, she gently placed her hand under his head and lifted it, to sit more comfortably. His eyes fluttered slightly when her touch lingered a little longer on his hair than they should have normally. Noticing that she withdraw her fingers and flushed again, hoping he wouldn't notice it. 

"Continue reading," he said, his voice coming out of his lungs deep and almost sleepy. As she reached once again for the book she had placed on the table, his finger gently curled around her wrist. "And my hair. It...was nice," he seemed to force himself to utter the words and she felt once again as if she couldn't breathe.

Out of all the moments she had shared with Tom throughout all the years she had known him, this was probably the most intimate. Not in a sensual way of course (she would never do that to Elroy and just the thought of anything remotely close to that happening with her closest friend was ridiculous) but she had never seen Tom looking so...so vulnerable as he was right now, his head placed on her legs, the usual look of control and cool politeness lacking from his face. He didn't look like the mature middle-aged man she often called him when joking but like an actual teenage boy that was on the verge of succumbing to Morpheus. 

How could someone like him be related to anything sort of devilish? Just the thought was beyond ridiculous and she mentally scolded herself for being overly paranoid and trusting the drunk words of her friend. He had consumed one and a half bottle of firewhiskey and to that he was distressed and bitter about his sudden engagement- of course, and he would say something bad about someone. She sighed and looked at her friend again. 

With a subtle smile, her fingers reluctantly passed through his hair, and on the other hand, she stabilizing the book she did as he had told her.

"Dorian, this is horrible! Something has changed you completely. You look-" her voice soon found a peaceful rhythm that matched his breathing as he soon was asleep.


	12. a caring friend

Her neck was not aching nearly as much as it should have, considering the fact that she had at some point fallen asleep in such an uncomfortable position.

By the time she had stopped reading the book, Tom had long succumbed to Morpheus but childishly, she had continued, eager to learn about the fate of Dorian Gray. After all, he had told her that her voice was nice and it seemed it had perfectly worked -in a sense- like a lullaby.

As her eyes shot open, her vision was blurry at first, and it took her a good several moments to realize that the fire wasn't burning in the fireplace anymore and that she was laying across the leather couch on her side, a thin dark green blanket covering half of her body. Her ribs were slightly hurting and she could feel that the left side of her face numb just like her arm.

And it had taken another few moments for the realization that she wasn't in her House's common room to dawn on her. Alarmed, she abruptly jumped off the furniture, her surroundings blurring once again at the sudden movement and her eyes frantically searching for Tom. The last time she had seen him, he was sleeping in her lap, and apparently, at some point, he had left? Why?

With a frown, she stretched her limbs and yawned. She made an effort to comb her hair with her fingers and her eyes fell on a vintage clock on top of the fireplace.

It was 6 bloody am in the morning.

A groan escaped from her parted lips as she picked up her school robes and dusted them off. With mechanical movements, she grabbed the book and put it back to its place, momentarily tempted to indulge in another one. After a few minutes of carefully reading the titles, she settled with one named _Don Quixote_. It was an unusual name, the kind that sparked interest and without being deterred by its size she took it in her hands, her fingers caressing the hardcover. She wondered if she would enjoy it as much as she enjoyed the previous one.

Aurora, prior to attending Hogwarts, had been tutored in different fundamental subjects that ranged from English writing and reading to Geometry and Latin.

Her governess had been instructed by Salome to teach her in-depth all the subjects given, not giving a reason why she insisted on doing so since her daughter would be attending a school where everything except for English would be useless. Nevertheless, when it came to understanding muggle literature, both daughter and mother had shown distaste, Salome deeming it a complete waste of energy and Aurora seeing no point in spending her time trying to comprehend pages and pages of words that made little sense.

Instead, she focused on classic wizarding literature, some written in Anglo-Saxon (she had taken extra lessons in learning how to read and understand that), which she found enjoyable.

She could still remember her governess's first and last futile attempt to make her read a book called " _The Hobbit_ ". From the first paragraph, she had lost interest and at a moment of anger, she had set it on fire (whether she had done that deliberately or not was up to discussion). Since then, the woman knew better than to pressure her into doing something she didn't want to.

Looking back at her views, she knew, her mother's, and consequently her opinions on the matter came from the scorn of muggles that run deep in their blood. Now she felt embarrassed and slightly stupid that her ten-year-old self had been so quick to reject an entirely new world opened to her. But then again, she was too young at the time. It was only fair that she would find book reading more enjoyable as time passed and she became more mature.

_Or was it the fact that he was listening to her that made the whole process more enjoyable?_

She shook her head at the absurdity of her thoughts. First of all, she hadn't even realized Tom's presence when she first started reading and the second time he had fallen asleep, not even a chapter later. So, no. She simply liked the book itself. Nothing more, nothing else. 

She put on her robes and with the book under her armpit, she opened the door and after checking that no one was passing by, she quickly got out of the room and descended the stairs. Aurora made it to the dungeons without bumping into anyone and felt relaxed only after entering the ever-familiar common rooms. They were empty, obviously, but she knew that soon students would be waking up and without losing any more time, she went straight to her chambers.

Belle was sleeping on her bed, a dark green silk sleeping mask on her eyes and her body wrapped up in the bedsheets so tight, she looked like a worm. An expensive-looking, green worm. 

Aurora smiled briefly at the sight and put the book on her nightstand.

She changed into a clean shirt and skirt and brushed her hair, deciding to make a loose low ponytail as she didn't want her hair hindering her in the potions. Making as little sound as she could, she tiptoed into the small bathroom in their room, splashing cold water on her face and brushing her teeth. Belle shifted in her sleep at the sound of the running water and Aurora found fit to wake her up.

"Good morning sunshine!" she chirped cheerfully as she applied a vanilla-scented cream on her hands, earning a groan from her friend. 

"Shut up," she mumbled, tossing over and fighting off a yawn. Aurora laughed devilishly and flicked her wand, taking off her sleeping mask. That made her roommate sit up instantly and she narrowed her dark eyes dangerously. 

"You will pay for this," she threatened through gritted teeth and fell, once again, back on the bed, finally giving in and yawning. "What time is it anyway?" She asked and closed her eyes.

"Six-thirty, according to my watch," she informed her gleefully, and the young Zabini shrieked.

"You woke me up at _six-thirty_? Are you insane?" Belle grabbed a pillow, ready to aim it at Aurora, who had turned her back on her, rearranging the books she would be needing for the day. But she decided against it and instead she stood up, walking closer to her friend.

Aurora shook her head. "You should be thanking me, B, since you do take hours to get ready and I don't think Slughorn would forgive you if you walked in late. Again," she added after a few moments for emphasis. Belle scoffed but made no effort to deny the accusations.

"Where were you last night anyway?" she asked instead, examining her perfectly manicured nails. She looked up and a sly smirk formed on her beautiful face. "Were you snogging Ros-"

"No," she denied too quickly, her cheeks flushing scarlet. When her friend's eyebrow remained arched, she rolled her eyes. "I wasn't, really. If you must know, I was patrolling the hallways," she said and debated between her light pink and gloss and the bright red one. 

Belle made a sound of disappointment. "The entire night? Did you catch the kids that tortured the _mudbloods_ or something?" she asked in a bored manner and walked towards the bathroom.

Aurora blinked a few times confused before she remembered the incident from Saturday that had prevented her from going to Hogsmeade. But the casual usage of a slur still made her cringe mentally but she made no move to correct her.

After all, that's what they were. Aurora was just too polite to say it out loud.

" _Ha_! I wish," she said and applied some of the lipstick on her lips. "Do you think I would get an award if I did that?" she mused and cast her a sideways glance. Belle shrugged her shoulders and passed her fingers through her hair.

"It would be worth trying," she said and Aurora chuckled. 

"I would have to use legilimency on the whole castle. It would take _eons_ ," she said with an exaggerated sigh, making both chuckle.

"Or you could sprinkle the cauldron in which they make the pumpkin juice with veritaserum," she suggested with a smirk. "I bet Slughorn wouldn't mind giving you his stock. If he plays hard to get, battle your pretty eyes at him-"

" _Dear Merlin, Belle!_ " Aurora cut her off with a hysteric laugh, covering her mouth with her palm. Belle laughed as well and stripped off her nightgown, leaving her with her underwear only. "The purple one," she answered the unasked question when the young Zabini raised two sets. She nodded in agreement and walked back to the bathroom.

Aurora's chuckle died down after a few moments and she bit her lower lip thoughtfully. "Belle," she started saying carefully. The dark-skinned girl looked at her questioningly as she picked up her toothbrush. "If you had to guess, who do you think did it?"

She waited for a few moments for her friend to finish her routine before getting a reply. "Well...there are many people to suspect if you want my honest opinion," she said in the end, and her words seemed cautiously picked. Aurora sat on the edge of the nightstand and entwined her fingers nervously. 

"Such as?" she prompted her, not knowing what had gotten into her. 

Belle walked out of the bathroom, towards her closet and she picked out fresh clothes as well. "I-well," she stopped and turned towards her. "What is this about Rori? Did you hear something?" She abandoned her clothes and got closer to her, her hands resting on her hips. Aurora looked up and saw her looking at her with furrowed eyebrows and she sighed.

"No, it-it's silly," she said with a breathless chuckle. "The other day, I heard King and her little friends-uh- saying that it could have been me and the boys..." she trailed off, realizing that saying that out loud sounded incredibly stupid. Her cheeks reddened and she cleared her throat awkwardly. "Do you think I could be capable of doing such atrocity in the name of- I don't know. Blood purity?" she asked the question that had been burning in the back of her mind for days now.

"I am sorry, but you took her words to heart? Alissia King's words, to make the matter worse?" she scoffed and shook her head. " _Of course_ and a Gryffindor would try to frame a Slytherin darling. I had no other expectations. And especially you," she added the last part softly. That made Aurora blink confused 

"And why me especially?" While it was no secret that the two Houses had no friendly relations, Aurora could count on the dingers of her one hand the number of times she and that girl had exchanged words. Most of them were hostile but nothing too serious to give her the liberty of making such audacious assumptions.

" _Why_?" she repeated as if she had heard the most absurd thing in the world. She looked at her exasperatedly. "It's obvious; because she is jealous of you!" she exclaimed with such ferocity it surprised her. Aurora opened her mouth to retort but Belle was quick to continue her monologue.

"The pretty, pureblood, Slytherin, princess and the heiress of the Volant dynasty. Related to the Malfoys. Glorious ancestors. The girl _the_ Elroy Rosier is dating. The perfect student-" she stopped abruptly and swallowed. "Do you need me to elaborate further?"

Aurora-whose mouth was agape- closed it instantly and shook her head. The last thing she had expected was the overflowing river of compliments. But how come they sounded more like bitter accusations than expressions of praise? "No, but-"

"There is not but, Aurora," she cut her off, again, with a sigh. "So, stop listening to whatever mudblood Alissia King has to say about you and let me shower alright?" she looked at her sternly and wrapped her arms around the young Volant's shoulders.

Aurora nodded and with a reluctant smile, she returned to what she was previously doing.

***

"Good morning," she murmured against his lips and she felt them curl up in a smile.

"Good morning to you as well," Elroy murmured back and they sat together at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. "Everything's alright?" he asked her as she handed him a plate of pancakes. They were the few people that had arrived early for breakfast, with Sebastian's head resting on the table without moving and Tom sitting opposite to them, his nose buried in a book, as usual. 

Aurora poured a cup of tea for herself and looked at him with a curious smile. "Of course. Why wouldn't it be?" She raised an eyebrow at the unusual question and politely denied a plate of scrambled eggs. "I am not hungry," she said quietly and his lips pursed for a moment.

"I don't know. It seems like I see less of you since Saturday," he replied quietly, and she noticed a tinge of color appear on his cheeks. He looked down on his plate, stuffing his mouth with the food. Aurora's lips parted as her cheeks flushed in an equally rosy color and she cleared her throat.

"Oh, it has nothing to do with that," she reassured him, leaning to whisper into his ear. He turned to face her and he raised an eyebrow. He leaned in and kissed her once again, a little more forcefully than he had ever in public and she chuckled. "I just had lots of work to take care of," she took a sip from her cup.

"Of course. I apologize I just-"

"No, it's fine," she cut him off and her hand reached his hand under the table. She gave it a light squeeze before resting it again on the table. "Besides, I disappeared in the morning without saying anything," she told him and he shook his head.

"I didn't misunderstand you, so nothing to worry about," he told her and they smiled at each other. A loud cough broke their moment and she turned her head to see Tom, who had put down his book. His expression was unreadable but his eyes looked stern, for lack of a better word.

"Would you pass me the pumpkin juice, Aurora?" he asked her, stretching out his hand and she grabbed the jug wordlessly. As she handed it over, their fingers slightly brushed against each other and it had taken every inch of her self-control not to shiver. Why was he always so cold? 

"Thank you," he told her but she didn't let go of it. With a roll of her eyes, she pointed to his glass with her chin.

"Come on, old habits die hard," she told him with a sigh and a faint smirk appeared on his face. She poured him the juice with much more concentration than necessary, making sure to keep her eyes glued to the orange-colored liquid. "There you go," she said softly in the end and she put the jug down. This time he only nodded curtly and she returned to her plate. Which was empty. But she wasn't feeling hungry on the other hand so she didn't mind it.

"How's Ares?" she asked, to break the awkward silence that had followed hers and Tom's interaction. Elroy swallowed down his bite and dabbed his lips on the napkin, ready to reply but Tom beat him to it.

"I gather he is still asleep. Drinking firewhiskey as if it's water is never a good choice," he replied in an apathetic manner, his eyes never leaving his book's page and Aurora frowned. At that statement, Sebastian seemed to have risen from the dead and he looked at the trio with furrowed eyebrows.

"I will go get him a slip note from the nurse. I know he would want to skip classes today," he said and stood up. And with that, he left the Great Hall.

"Well, it was quite the shock to be honest so no one blames him," Elroy said, his voice lowering in sadness for his friend and she sighed.

"I just hope he won't do anything stupid. You know how he is," she reached for an apple and tapped her fingers against it.

Her boyfriend smiled at her reassuringly. "We are here to make sure he won't," he replied, making her smile. 

"Where is Malfoy?" Tom interrupted them once again and this time Aurora's lips twitched up in irritation.

He paid no attention to her as he looked at Elroy, his long fingers curling around the base of his glass, the ring clicking against the fragile material. As she watched his knuckles turn white, she briefly wondered how much more it would take him to shatter it into a thousand smithereens. With bewilderment, she realized that part of her wanted to see it happen. Taken aback by the track of her thoughts, she averted her gaze from his hand to hers and thought whether or not painting her nails in a dark color would suit her.

"Oh, he went to the owlery, first thing in the morning," the heir of the Rosier family informed them. "He said he had an important message to sent to his father but I suspect he just wanted to send his long letter to our dearest Miss Meliflua," the corners of his lips curved up in an amused smirk and Aurora chuckled. 

Who would have guessed that her ever stubborn cousin would eventually fall for the girl he initially didn't want to even think about?

"I can only hope that Ares will come to like Ariadne just like my cousin did with Beth," she said and took a bite from her apple. Elroy hummed in agreement. "And speaking of my uncle, mother told me that he consulted her for the ring he should give Brax to propose with," she rolled her eyes. "Apparently, neither men liked the Malfoy traditional ring that has passed down from Merlin knows when," she said and the young boy sitting next to her chuckled.

"What did your mother say?" he asked her and she shrugged her shoulders.

"She was infuriated that uncle Lazarus dared to insult such a -she said and I quote- _'sacred symbol of our family name integrity and purity_ ", she huffed and shook her head. "Who would have guessed that jewelry had such a deep meaning?" she asked, mostly to herself.

As Elroy opened his mouth to give her a reply, once again, Tom beat him to it.

"It all comes down to the symbolization," he said and looked up, his onyx eyes boring into hers. "This ring, for instance," he raised his hand and Aurora's eyes snapped on a ring with a golden frame and a dark stone in the middle, in a color that matched his eyes and she realized that it was her first time seeing that ring on him. "It symbolized my family's pure line. Your family's ring represents their integrity and purity as you said and whatever Malfoy will give to his fiance will symbolize his _love_ for her." 

He had said the word with difficulty, his tone suggesting that it was a concept beyond ridiculous. But she didn't notice that. Her lips parted fascinated at the way he was explaining and unconsciously she had crossed her arms over the table, listening to him carefully- like a student listening to the lecture of their professor.

His eyes lingered on her for a few moments, a curious gaze in them, before resting back on the Rosier heir. "And when will you, my friend, give darling Aurora her own symbol for your love?" he asked, a cynical amusement evident in his voice.

He raised an eyebrow and took a sip from his glass, as calmly as he had just informed them that they would have to soon leave for potions.

Both blushed furiously. " _Tom_!" Aurora had whispered-yelled furiously and Elroy cleared his throat, looking like he wanted to stab himself with the fork in front of him.

But he ignored them both. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders and stood up, picking up his stuff. "I will be seeing you at class," he told them, and with a nod, he turned around and walked out of the Great Hall. That left the couple sitting on the table, in awkward silence, both avoiding each other's eyes.

Aurora quickly jumped off her seat and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek, not wanting to endure this uncomfortable moment any longer. 

"I'll see you at class too!" she told him and practically run after Tom.

She spotted him, a few meters ahead of her, and with quick steps, she grabbed the back of his robes, halting him.

She let go instantly and he turned around, the annoyed expression on his face turning into a politely intrigued one, once he saw her. "May I help you with something?" he asked in a dangerously calm tone and she closed her eyes annoyed, walking past him. As expected, he followed her, and they made their way down to the dungeons.

She didn't reply at first and just as they descended the stairs, she abruptly stopped and poked her finger in his chest, narrowing her eyes. "You can't just spew out nonsense out of nowhere!" she exclaimed and took in a deep breath.

He scoffed and put his hands on her shoulders, pulling her aside, so that he would continue walking down. "I didn't _spew_ out nonsense," he said irritated. "I was _simply_ asking a very _simple_ question."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed his robes again, pulling him backward, to stand in front of him. "It's not a simple question!" she argued. "And even if you think it is, it's none of your concern. It's something between me and Elroy so refrain from meddling in our business," she snapped at him.

Judging from the flash of annoyance and exasperation that passed by his eyes, she thought that he would hex her on spot or throw her from the stairs. But she didn't falter. 

His lips pursed into a tight line and he took a step towards her with a hard face. "I am just watching out for you. You should be grateful," he said in an equally curt tone, making her eyes almost fall from their sockets.

" _You're what?_ " she said with a breathless chuckle.

He didn't seem amused and he walked past her without saying another word.

As they reached the door of the classroom, he suddenly turned around, making her back collide with the wall. She was about to take a step back when he pushed her back and his fingers grabbed her chin, making her look right into his eye. She shot him her most threatening glare, but he didn't falter. As he spoke, she could feel his breath on her neck. She wanted to look anywhere else but in the dark pools that were scowling at her but almost as if she were compelled, she couldn't do anything. 

"I am watching out for you," he murmured. "Could you imagine the embarrassment that the boy dating and deflowering the Slytherin princess didn't marry her in the end? What would everyone say?" His tone sent chills down her spine and only when he let go of her, did it dawn on her what he had told her.

The same words Belle had used earlier when she thought they sounded bitter, now they sounded mocking to her ears. She shoved him backward and her fingers curled around her wand.

"How dare you?" she asked him in disbelief, her cheeks flushing with anger. "I-," she stopped to gulp down the bile that rose in her throat. "What even prompted you to think that?" When she spoke again, her voice was just above a whisper but still cool enough to sound menacing.

He rolled his eyes. "That's none of your _business_ ," he replied and pulled the door's handle. He cocked his head to her direction and looked at her with an unreadable feeling burning in his eyes. "Excuse me for being a caring friend," and with that he walked into the classroom, leaving behind a bewildered and embarrassed Aurora.


	13. article

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovely readers! I hope you are all doing great!  
> Just in case I haven't pointed it out, I want to say that English is not my first language and so please forgive any errors I make. Hopefully, they won't make the reading process difficult :)

_**SCANDALOUS DIVORCE: FROM THE CLUTCHES OF A CRIMINAL TO THE ARMS OF AN OLD FLAME** _

_It seems like the life of Salome Volant (née Malfoy) never ceases to cause the undivided interest of everyone within the British Wizarding World, writes Portia Skeeter._

_Just before Christmas, everyone was shocked when the Minister of Magic himself announced that Salome had requested a divorce between her and the previously high-profile and well-respected member of society, Jean-Francis Volant, a descendant of one of the most ancient and prestigious noble-houses of the Sacred-28 list. But while a divorce is almost an unspeakable action with only a few circumstances of it recorded throughout the history of marriages, are we really surprised about the decision of the ever beautiful Malfoy heiress?_

_The answer is far complicated than one would think._

_Growing up Salome, as the only daughter and the youngest child of Septimus and Dinah Malfoy, her parents were overindulgent with her and had groomed her to continue her lifestyle after marriage with a son of a matching family. Little did she know that unfortunately for her, that person would be Jean-Francis, a seemingly friendly and gentlemanly young man that had earned the respect of everyone within their circle of acquaintances._

_For those who cannot remember, shortly after what could be described as the most grandiose wedding of the century, rumors started floating around that the Volant heir had taken an interest in the darkest of arts and he eventually confirmed them, by the atrocious act of torturing and murdering four muggle-born wizards between 1936-1937._

_He was sent to Azkaban almost immediately, leaving behind a young child and an incredibly humiliated and distressed wife._

_After years of waiting for a trial, he was eventually sentenced to a dementor's kiss on the 31st of July of this year. It was known that throughout all these years, Salome, being the caring mother she is, had relentlessly tried to cut all ties with him, requesting a divorce from the first few months as she didn't want her child to be influenced by any of this._

_Fortunately for her, Minister Spencer-Moon finally agreed to grant it to her, by the end of February-which is just a few days far._

_But the greatest surprise of all was -as a very trusted source told us- that upon being set free from the last strands that connected her to Volant, Salome has been preparing to get married to Sebastian Avery Snr, a kind man that has often made donations to St. Mungos and various projects of the Ministry. We dug around a bit and found out that their truly romantic love story dates back to their days at Hogwarts School of Magic when they were both just students and little did they know what the future held for them-_

"You need to stop reading that shite, Rory. It will only harm you," Abraxas coughed awkwardly and his fingers wrapped around the broomstick he had spent hours on polishing before the big game. Aurora sighed but kept her eyes glued to the picture of her mother that decorated the front page of the Daily Prophet, the usually neutral face of her forcing a polite smile for the sake of the cameras.

She looked impeccable as always.

She ignored him. "Did you read this?" she spat out disgustedly and her finger pointed to the next paragraph.

" _Now that we are all awaiting perhaps the second most grandiose wedding of this century, the only thing we want to see is whether or not Salome's efforts to shift her daughter to the good side were enough or not._

_Will the only heiress of the Volant House- the young and strikingly beautiful like her mother- Aurora choose to follow her mother's footsteps and claim her place as society's hatching socialite or will she find herself drawn towards dark magic?_

_Are the genes of Jean-Francis so strong that they could pass onto his daughter?_

_Should we keep a careful eye on the young Aurora?_

_For now, the only answer we have is that time will show..._ " she curled her fingers around the newspaper, successfully making a huge hole, and her glaring eyes fixed on her cousin as if he were the one to blame.

"This. Is. Beyond. Disgusting," she stated and with an angry huff, she threw the paper in the fireplace without thinking.

She sighed and rubbed her eyes with her fingers, trying to dissolve the fury that had built up in her while she had forced herself to read the article. She had never exhibited masochistic tendencies before but she knew everyone would be talking about this and she wanted to at least know what the fuss would be about. And now that she had read it, she wished she could obliviate herself and everyone that read the Daily Prophet. 

"Look, Rory..." Abraxas stopped his sentence in the middle, not knowing what to say.

Comforting people and especially women had never been his forte. He scratched his neck thoughtfully and wished that Elroy, Riddle (or both) were here to comfort her about it. But Elroy was in Slytherin's changing room, getting ready for a game that started in less than half-an-hour and he had noticed that his cousin and Riddle hadn't spoken normally to each other those past couple weeks.

Making a mental note to ask her about it later, he cleared his throat and tried again.

"How come Portia Skeeter likes aunt so much? As far as I know, you can't get her to write one good line about someone even if you threaten her," he blurted out without thinking and Aurora huffed.

"Yeah, mother knows that and she has been playing best friends with her for years now. Hence the result. My overly affectionate mother," she said the words with sarcasm dripping from her voice, "is living the romance of the century, my father is an atrocious monster -which is relatively okay, I mean he killed people- and my future choices are up to debate with me under a bloody microscope," she stopped talking when she was out of breath and sat down on a spare chair.

She tapped her fingers on the table and sighed again. 

"I am sorry for dragging you out of the changing rooms, by the way. I just wanted someone who is family to me to be with me," she murmured and felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Abraxas giving her a gentle smile.

"Don't even bother to apologize. After all, you are -more or less- like a little sister to me, aren't you?" He attempted to crack a weak joke and surprisingly she chuckled.

"You are just a month older Brax. Don't be so full of yourself," she stood up and playfully smacked him on the arm. He rolled his eyes and grabbed the Slytherin scarf for her, wrapping it around her neck tighter than she would have, but she was too polite to adjust it in front of him.

"Whatever you say, Rory," he mused and looked at her mischievously. "Now, stop giving a damn about what others may say and come to cheer for your cousin, your boyfriend, and your friends. Or," he raised his index finger threateningly, "I might write to Portia Skeeter anonymously that you are displaying a very suspicious withdrawal from your intimate circle of friend-"

"Shut up you fool," she cut him off with a scoff and tried to fight off a laugh that had climbed up her throat without success. They shared a look and in seconds they both started laughing- Abraxas relieved and Aurora a little nervously.

As they walked out of the common room, Abraxas made sure to shift the conversation on much lighter issues that wouldn't make her scowl or ramble on furiously. They bid goodbye outside of the changing room and after securing the cloak tighter around herself, she walked towards the Slytherin Tower to find Belle and the rest of her classmates. 

The past few weeks had been weird- to say the least. It was as if someone had magically (the irony of using that word), placed a veil between her and the rest of her friend group.

For starters, after that terribly awkward breakfast at Great Hall Elroy -while he was as always affectionate and polite as she remembered- simultaneously he seemed as if he wanted to put some emotional distance between them. This wouldn't concern her as she understood the need to be alone for a while but the fact that it had continued for so long, had slowly but steadily started worrying her much more than she would like to admit. She feared that if she addressed it directly and asked him about it, she would only make things worse -which was the last thing she wanted on her plate at the moment.

So they both had unanimously and silently agreed to live in faux blissfulness. 

Ares seemed to have finally accepted the fact that he would be getting married to Ariadne whether he liked it or not, and had retreated from any thoughts of going against his father's wishes, presenting an eerie calmness and acceptance that seemed at least unnatural. He hadn't looked in any other girl's direction even once and mostly kept to himself, for the first time paying attention at professor Binn's class and leaving everyone speechless.

With relief, she had noticed that he seemed to have no recollection of their drunken encountering nor had he made any hint that he remembered. 

Abraxas and Sebastian seemed relatively normal- which offered her some kind of comfort. But what was the standard for "normal"? (She never answered that question for the sake of her mental health).

Tom -Aurora tried not to think too much of him- had become her biggest headache throughout this time.

They hadn't uttered more than fifty words to each other after that bizarre and infuriating confrontation outside Slughorn's classroom, as she was waiting for an apology that seemed it would never arrive. Both stubborn in their own ways had refused to speak to each other unless it was absolutely necessary ( they were partnered up at most classes so it was kind of inevitable) but other than that, the cooly polite glances and the tensed atmosphere between them spoke loud.

And during detentions, they had taken the opposite ends of the Restricted section so that they could avoid each other as much as they could.

Deep down, Aurora felt that this was childish behavior but made no move to make a change. In fact, while the initial anger had subsided, the annoyance was still there.

Sure they argued often about the smallest things and days had gone without them speaking to each other, but never this long. Usually, she was the one to speak to him first but now she had made a vow to herself that she wouldn't succumb to the charms of her friend. After all, she was insulted by his insinuations and had been left embarrassed as the subject was the kind she would never discuss with a male friend.

Perhaps not even Belle if she wasn't feeling drunk enough to do so. 

The only good thing that had happened was that the ban from visiting Hogsmeade was lifted as the culprits were caught. The tall Ravenclaw boy and the mousy-looking Slytherin girl had admitted to carving the skin of the muggle-borns, in front of everyone during dinner. She didn't know how they were punished but the chances of them getting expelled were high as she had seen neither throughout this time.

The confession though had made everyone gasp in shock and whispers that it must have been the girl that convinced the boy floated around. 

Aurora had rolled her eyes at that- she didn't quite understand if that statement derived from the fact that it was because she was a Slytherin or because she was a girl (and girls were always more cunning than boys, she had been taught). She hoped it was the former.

And now, she had to deal with the article.

Just the thought of it made her want to find that Portia Skeeter woman and strangle her -either with bare hands or with magic.

_But why was she so annoyed?_

The question popped up in her head at once but she couldn't find the answer equally fast.

Was it because Salome was portrayed as an endearing and selfless mother that cared about her daughter more than herself? She wanted to laugh at that. Abruptly, her father's words flashed past her. " _Self-obsessed bitch_ ," he had called her in Wizagnamot, for everyone to hear and while she would never insult her mother like that, she couldn't help but silently agree with him.

Instantly, she cringed and felt horrified for having the same opinion as a known criminal. What would be next? Torture and slaughter people just because she didn't like them?

 _Stop over-thinking,_ she scolded herself but to no avail.

Maybe, what had really irked her was the grain of truth in Portia's statement, she realized and her heart started beating faster. Had she or not, spend years at Hogwarts, trying to convince everyone that her interests were far away from anything dark? Her eleven-year-old self had gone as far as to get a low grade in DADA on purpose (the thought had come with the subtle aid of Salome of course) and hadn't she made a slippery a few months ago with Tom, the professors that had come to visit her in the hospital wing would have never been suspicious. 

Underneath her facade, she spent nights and nights, sitting in the library's restricted section, practicing and learning spells that were both within and outside of the class's material. Her mind absorbed every tiny piece of information and her attempts at mimicking the spells were almost always a success. And above everything, she enjoyed learning- her self-teaching hours were far more enjoyable than any class Merrythouhgt could ever offer. 

So, was she already tracing her father's footsteps? Did he also practice dark magic on his own when he was at Hogwarts? Probably yes, as the curse she had used on Tom had been created around his sixth year, he had written in his notebook. But the date of its creation was the only indication of that fact- everything else lacked the insight into his personality.

She never had the chance to ask him about his own boyhood spent at Hogwarts.

She had a very obscure idea of who Francis Volant was in his school days, what his interests (apart from the obvious) were, what inspired him, what had prompted him to occupy himself with dark magic... All those questions Salome was never willing to discuss and would remain secret forever.

The little she remembered of him was either Francis attending some of those ridiculous balls with her mother and her -in the corner of the room, chatting quietly with other men over Superior Red- or the two of them practicing Occlumency in the library of the mansion.

With sadness, she realized that not once did they have a normal conversation that she could muse on and keep in her mind as a souvenir of their father-daughter relationship.

The thought of asking Dippet or any of her professors crossed her mind often, but she was afraid of showing any interest to her father, afraid it would confirm the doubts Portia Skeeter had so mercilessly printed on the paper. Only once, she had heard the Headmaster saying -the week prior to her fifth-year exams- that Francis had achieved twelve OWLs, which had left her and Tom (when he told him later) impressed.

But what was the point?

What was the point of acting when people would always doubt her, no matter what?

Even if she became a newer version of her mother.

Even if she got a T in her Defence Against the Dark Arts class.

Even if she married Elroy and had a bunch of kids and lived her life as a devoted wife- which was what everyone expected of her.

She was the daughter of Jean-Francis Volant, a criminal, a man obsessed with anything dark, a killer. Nothing would ever erase that fact and so, why spend energy pretending to be bad in something she was talented at?

Children shouldn't pay for their parent's mistakes. She had always heard that phrase about her. 

Her lips pursed annoyed. If she would be judged no matter what, then it would be best if she stopped doing what other people expected of her and what they wanted to see from her.

Besides, it wasn't like she would be turning into a prejudice-driven serial killer any time soon. 

With quick steps, she ascended the Tower's stairs, not paying attention to where she was going. As she reached the top, with dismay she noticed that it had started raining-which she wouldn't mind had she not forgotten to bring an umbrella with her. She took out her wand and cast a waterproof charm on her clothes and tried to find Belle in the crowd. 

"Bloody hell..." she mumbled to herself annoyed and tried to take a step forward but a sudden grip on her arm stopped her.

She didn't have to turn around to see who it was- she could tell by the force of it that it was the last person she wanted to face at the moment. She placed her hand on top of his- slightly wincing at the coldness of his fingers- and tried to free her arm from his hold. She turned her head and her eyes remained politely apathetic as she looked straight into his.

"Let go," she said simply, carefully trying not to overstep the five-word limit she had imposed on herself when speaking to him once in a few days. 

Tom rolled his eyes and dragged her backwards so that she was under the small shelter between the seats and the stairs.

"Dippet told me that he has reserved a special seating for Perfects and Heads. Follow me," he said dully and with that, his fingers released their grip on her and he turned around.

She clenched her jaw and her fingers curled inside her pockets irritated. Nevertheless, she followed him, knowing that it wouldn't be appeasing if she weren't seated where the rest of the Perfects and Heads were. As a last resort, she hoped that Augustus Lovegood wasn't at the Hospital Wing so that she could hold a conversation with someone that didn't make her want to poke out her eyes with her wand. 

They walked in silence, Aurora congratulating herself for not glancing at him even once. She cast her watch a look and saw that the game would start in less than ten minutes, which was just enough time for them to take a seat in the East Tower just in time. As they walked past the showcase, she couldn't help but look at it, and surprised she saw Tom opening his mouth a few times to say something but changing his mind in the end.

Her eyes narrowed and she averted her gaze from the glass to the real person next to her.

"Unless you are going to apologize to me, don't bother to speak," she snapped before she could stop herself.

Obviously unexpecting her to speak, he raised his eyebrow and slightly turned his head in her direction. "I beg your pardon?" He asked in disbelief.

She scoffed. "I must admit that I expected a better apology but for now, I will make do with that one," she said and plastered a fake smile on her face.

The corners of his lips quirked up a bit and his tongue darted out to wet his lower lip, as he thought of an answer. "I must say- that article was quite fascinating. So, Miss Volant, will you turn to the good or the bad side?" His eyebrows arched, giving him an expression of mock interest but his voice was way too sarcastic to even consider that he was being truthful. She abruptly stopped walking and her eyes narrowed hatefully.

"Shut up," she spat out which only made his smirk grow. He looked at both sides of the hallway before taking a step forward. "We may not be talking but there are boundaries you ought to respect," she told him curtly, staying in her place and not giving attention to the fact that he was standing merely half a meter in front of her, his tall frame towering over hers. She raised her neck to establish eye contact and he lowered his head to be at the same level as her.

"And whose fault is that we don't talk? Remind me darling because it seemed to me that I was trying to be a good friend to you while you," he raised his index finger, pointing it to her neck, "were behaving like a bratty child," he said and she huffed, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Is that what really happened?" She challenged him, leaning forward. "To me, it seemed as if you were trying to raise groundless suspicions between me and Elroy. About matters that not a little concern you," she said, making him scoff.

"Is that what you think, Aurora?" The use of her name threw her off for a moment but he didn't notice. "That I want to sabotage whatever little romance you have with Rosier?" The way he had put it together made her feel embarrassed and her cheeks flushed. She parted her lips to argue but he went on.

He sighed and straightened his posture. Suddenly aware of their proximity, she took a step back and cleared her throat. "We may all be close friends, but we are still boys. And you are a girl. There are some things that... you don't know. Excuse me for doing my duty to you," he nodded slightly and turned around, his cloak dramatically twirling. 

Her eyebrows furrowed and her throat suddenly felt dry. What the hell was he talking about? Cursing herself for doing this, she ran after him, her fingers curling around the back of his robes and she turned him around. Their chests collided and she instantly let go of him, biting her lower lip.

"What do you mean Tom? Stop being so damn cryptic about it and use your tongue to speak," she snapped and crossed her arms over her chest. She had completely forgotten that they were supposed to be at a completely different place.

He gulped and fixed his gaze on the entrance of the Tower briefly before looking at her in the eyes. His expression seemed softer than before and he raised his hand to place it on her shoulder. "It's nothing serious-boys just talk," he sighed and before she could ask him what he meant with it, he continued speaking. "It's not even that serious and I admit that I may have overreacted but my point is... I need you to trust me," he said in the end, his voice careful and she blinked confused.

Huh?

"Tom," she said his name out loud for the first time in weeks. "Why are you saying this?" She pulled her lip between her teeth and her fingers nervously played with the wand in her pocket. He shook his head and gave her a slight smile.

"Just answer me this question; do you trust me?" He insisted and she shrugged her shoulders.

"I mean- normally, of course, I do. I am just annoyed by you at the moment. And I have been for the past few weeks actually," she added with a roll of her eyes. He nodded reluctantly and she raised an eyebrow. "Will you now answer my question or will I have to force it out of you?" 

He cleared his throat. "I- I just thought that you didn't consider yourself my friend anymore," he admitted and she huffed. "And, I...I have been wanting to apologize for a while now but I thought you didn't want to hear me out," his voice lowered and so did his eyes, as they stared at the floor.

Aurora's lips parted in surprise and a rush of affection suddenly overwhelmed her. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped on her tiptoes so as to reach him. After a few seconds, she felt his arm snake around her waist and his other hand resting in the middle of her back.

"You stupid boy,"' she mumbled next to his ear. "Of course and I would hear you out. Why wouldn't I?" She felt his breath on her neck as he spoke.

"In that case, I apologize for what I have said. Both then and now-meaning the article. It was a piece of rubbish," he said and she chuckled, slowly unwrapping her arms from his neck. His arms lingered a little longer on her, but when he let go, she smiled at him and took a tiny step back. 

"Thank you. And apology's accepted," she added with an eye roll, but her voice was quiet, as she remembered her previous thoughts. He raised his hand, his finger taking a piece of her hair and placing it behind her ear, his skin briefly grazing against her cheeks.

Sensing her change in tone, he furrowed his eyebrows and lowered his hand."Do you want to talk about it?" He asked and as she was about to agree, she had the grace to glance down at her watch. A gasp left her lips as she saw that they were ten minutes late. When did twenty minutes pass?

"Certainly not now. We are late!" She said guiltily and he chuckled. 

"Come on, then. Later," he said and tugged her from her wrist, pulling her forward. She exhaled and felt as if a weight had been lifted from her chest. Thank Merlin, they were back to normal.

"Later," she agreed with a smile he couldn't see, happy that another good thing had happened, probably for the first time in weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there's one thing you should know about Tom and Aurora, is that there will be a lot of bickering between them. For almost everything. So be prepared :) Also, I hope you all realize that Soft-Tom is part of his manipulation plan, right? I am not writing him out of character😭


	14. Quidditch game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is slightly longer- I hope you don't mind. :)

They took a seat between a Gryffindor Perfect and a Hufflepuff Head just as Elroy tossed the quaffle in the goal post, making the Gryffindors erupt in a series of howlings and the Slytherins cheer for their chaser. The young Rosier caught sight of an overly excited Aurora and despite the light rain, she noticed that he had winked at her making her already rosy cheeks, from running up the stairs, darken by a few shades.

Noticing the gesture too, a few students whistled.

She chose to ignore them and instead she took Tom's binoculars into her hands and stood up, walking closer to the wooden barrier and trying to see the score chart.

 _30-10_ , with Slytherins being the lead.

 _Not bad_ , she thought, and her hands curled around the wood. She lifted herself on her tiptoes as if that would make the game go faster and felt the rain wet her hair and face, but she didn't mind. In fact, it felt almost redemptive -in a way- as if the raindrops would wipe away all of her bad thoughts, all of the bad feelings that had been harboring inside of her the past few weeks. She raised her hand to put a lock of her hair behind her ear and out of instinct she looked back and met his eyes.

Instead of standing, Tom was sitting with his legs crossed, looking far less excited and more collected than her, almost bored. She resisted the urge to chuckle as she knew that just like her, he also disliked this sport. The difference was that she was only thrilled because of who was playing. He, on the other hand, made little effort to disguise his disinterest but his cooly polite face could fool a lot of people into thinking that he was cheering for his friends.

Not her, certainly and she couldn't blame him. The way Abraxas talked about it could bring tears of boredom to her eyes.

The moment she turned her head and their eyes met, something like a flash passed past them and the corners of his lips slowly tugged in a tiny, barely-visible but nonetheless apparent smirk. She mimicked him and before she could find herself being seated next to him instead of focusing on the game, she turned around, flipping her hair, and once again grabbed the wood. To the point, her knuckles turned white. 

With furrowed eyebrows and her teeth chewing on her lower lip, she watched as the rain started falling more intensely, making it almost impossible to even recognize who was who, and if it hadn't been for the distinctive color of their uniforms, Aurora wouldn't be surprised if she caught herself cheering -accidentally of course- for the opposite team. But if there was one thing that relieved her was that she could at least identify her cousin, his pale blond hair shining under the little light the sky provided. Ares -the Golden Keeper as they called him- successfully blocked the Quaffle the Gryffindor Chaser tossed and threw it back to Jacob Mulciber who almost made Fleamont Potter fall from his broom.

But apparently, Jacob wasn't the only one who aimed for Potter's falling.

The Bludger appeared out of nowhere and Fleamont was on the verge of getting knocked off the broomstick but with a swift move, he sat back on it, making the nervous Gryffindors clap with relief and the faces of the Slytherins turn sour. Nevertheless, the moment everyone had seen him hanging off the edge of it, a collective gasp escaped from everyone's lips- even Aurora's.

"Concerned for the Gryffindor, darling?" A familiar silky voice purred in her ear, so close to her neck that she felt the hot breath on the crook of her neck and she huffed with a shake of her head. She briefly inhaled the musky scent that was now combined with the smell of rain and warmth spread in her heart. She tilted her head upwards and sighed incredulously. 

"No, but that doesn't mean I want to see him fall from such a height either, Tom," she rolled her eyes and looked at him mockingly. "It's called having humane feelings, you should really look it up," she smirked at him and if her words would make him glare at her at any other time, now, he suppressed a smile forming on his face and even a light chuckle left his lips.

"You are talking to me about compassion? Aren't you supposed to be the hatching dark witch of the century?" He asked her with a throaty laugh and she briefly closed her eyes annoyed before slapping him on the arm. In the end, she couldn't help but chuckle along, shaking her head. If there was one person that could make a joke out of this situation without making her feel bad about it was him. 

He placed his elbows on the wooden barrier and he extended his pale hand to her. She watched confused at his long fingers tapped on the flat surface and it took her a few seconds for her to understand that he wanted his binoculars. With her cheeks slightly flushed, she tried to take it off, but as she tried to be quick, the neck strap got tangled in her hair.

Feeling highly humiliated and stupid, she struggled with it for a little bit and her eyes shot up, to see an overly amused Tom watching her, showing far more interest in her struggle than he had shown to any game of Quidditch the past six years. However, the positive thoughts only agitated her more and her lips pursed in a tight line. With narrowed eyes she spoke; "Will you help me or are you going to stand there and watch me struggle?" She snapped, which made him roll his eyes exasperated.

"You truly are the last person I would expect to forget that they are a witch," he said and took out his wand. With a flick, the neck strap disentangled from her hair and she successfully pulled it off her handing it back to him with much more force than necessary. Aurora scoffed at his words and cleared her throat awkwardly.

" _Pfff_ ," for better lack of word-or expression- she settled with an irritated huff and focused on the game, with far more concentration than she had to. That made him chuckle lowly. "Amused, Riddle?" She asked him, and although her voice was snappy her eyes were glaring at him playfully, once she averted her gaze from an angry Gryffindor Beater to her friend. 

"Always," he replied curtly, his face fighting off a smirk and she sighed, not quite turning her head back to the match.

Unlike her, he didn't seem to have put a waterproof charm on his clothes. For the occasion, he had decided not to wear his grey knitted jumper and despite the chilly air, he seemed perfectly comfortable in just his white shirt and dark cloak. The rain had made the white clothing stick to his lean abdomen and she instantly looked away, suddenly feeling too embarrassed with how she was watching him.

Without thinking further, she took out her wand from the pocket of her robes and turned her head in his direction. 

The rain hadn't just wetted his shirt but his face as well. His dark locks, usually messy, were not slicked back, a few strands falling to his forehead and the raindrops made their way from his forehead, down to the straight line of his nose, and finally reached the curve of his lips... With a quick flick of her wand, she dried him off and watched in satisfaction as his hair turned back to the usual mess and his face and clothes dried off.

Taken aback, he lowered his binoculars and turned to look at her baffled.

"I am not the only one that forgets she's a witch," she pointed out with a sing-song voice and took the binoculars from his hand.

She heard him huff and mumble something to himself but she couldn't concentrate on that when she saw it. Surprised, thrilled, and impatient, she instinctively grabbed Tom's forearm and dug her nails into his flesh. He didn't react, as if he didn't feel it at all. " _There_! _There_!" She exclaimed and moved her fingers upwards, now grabbing him from the collar of his cloak and making him lower to her height. "The golden snitch! Do you see it?" Her voice went a few octaves higher with every word and Tom put his hand over hers to take the object and see for himself.

She moved her head a little to the side, only watching through one lens, while Tom watched through the other. Their cheeks were almost touching, but she didn't mind. In fact, she hadn't even noticed that in her excitement. 

"I do see it," he said and he darted his tongue out, to lick his lower lip. "Hopefully Malfoy will catch it before Potter," he murmured and she hummed in agreement.

Anxious, she leaned forward and noticed that a lot of other students did the same, everyone -with hitched breaths- wondering which Seeker would get to it first. _Let it be Brax, let it be Brax,_ she prayed silently, knowing that in case of failure, how overreacting her cousin could be. She mentally cringed as she remembered last year, around the same time when the Slytherins had lost, and even though Elroy, Ares, and Seb were also on the team, neither had been as devastated and dramatic as him.

Then everything happened too fast.

As if both Abraxas and Fleamont had been hit by lightning, in the blink of the eye they speeded towards where the snitch was and the most absurd thing happened; they collided with each other and as they lost balance and started falling downwards, looking as if they were fighting over something. A choked yell rose from her lungs as she saw her cousin falling into a literal abyss, a hundred-foot from the ground, incredibly fast. Everyone, including the professors, run towards the barrier, and with the corner of her eye, she saw Dippet raising his hand.

They seemed to fall slowly but after that, she couldn't see much.

Without thinking, she stepped back, and (thank Merlin) she disentangled herself from the neck strap in one try and run to the stairs. 

As she was descending them, she cursed under her breath as it seemed to have taken a lot less time to ascend the stairs before. Out of breath, she ran out of the Tower and before she knew it, she was out in the pitch. By the time she was there, everyone was on the ground, looking with concerned expression at the two boys. The nurse and a few professors were also there but she paid them little attention. Upon seeing the familiar face of Elroy, a shaky sigh of relief left her lungs and he felt his strong arms around her.

"Abraxas!" She croaked out and they rushed to his side. 

Abraxas Malfoy was laying on the ground, with mud, grass, and blood all over him but nothing could erase the smug smirk on his face. Fleamont Potter was in the same situation- minus the satisfied smile. The first boy tried to position himself on his elbows but winced as he tried to. The nurse scolded him when he tried to move but he paid her no attention.

He raised his one hand that was curled into a tight fist and opened it, revealing a small, golden ball.

"Suck my dick, Potter," he spat out with a dangerously thin smile, and Potter, feeling already furious from losing, with exceptional stamina, threw himself on him, both hissing in pain as they tried to fight -or more correctly- _tried_ to imitate what was supposed to be fighting.

The reactions were the following; The nurse tugged both from their earlobes and barked orders at two other boys to put them on the stretcher. The professors were scandalized by the use of such vulgar vocabulary and the equally unacceptable behavior but at the same time, they were relieved they were not dead. The Gryffindor team looked sullen but also worried about their teammate and the Slytherins were congratulating Abraxas whilst earning scolds from the nurse.

When the Quidditch Commentator announced that it was Malfoy who caught the snitch, roars of applause shook the towers. 

Aurora put her hand on her head to shield it from the rain and green scarves and hats floating in the air and fell back into Elroy's chest. She felt his lips on her forehead and as she stretched her neck, he kissed her lips palming both sides of her cheeks. This only increased the volume of their roars. Slightly flushed and embarrassed she pulled away and a huge smile appeared on both of their faces. Nevertheless, she kept her arms wrapped around his waist as they both made their way inside the castle, followed behind by a team of Slytherins that looked happier than she had seen them in a while.

"I would hex your cousin if I weren't so excited about winning," Elroy laughed and she mimicked him, nodding. 

"I thought that idiot was going to die," she said with an exasperated sigh. A figure appeared next to her and she looked at Ares, rolling his eyes.

"Die?" He scoffed. "Did you see them picking a fight after falling from what? A hundred feet in the sky?" He shook his head and mumbled something incomprehensible to himself. "Well, the point is, Potter had it coming from him," he stated earning a few angry growls for two Gryffindors heading the same way.

"Got something to say, Weasley? Or you Bagman?" Sebastian snapped at the two, taking a few steps forward but Ares caught him, with a firm grip on his shoulders.

"Let them be. I don't wanna lose House points now Seb," he told him and tugged him to where the young couple was standing.

They joined them and they started talking towards the Hospital wing while Aurora was planning to give an earful to her cousin. She listened to the boys ramble on about how they felt and how easy it was to defeat _"untalented scums like those cubs_ ," and even though the smell of mud and rain and sweat was a tad overwhelming, she made no effort to step aside from Elroy's firm grip on her waist.

At last, when they entered the Hospital Wing, she was weirdly surprised to see Tom, standing next to Abraxas's bed. She shook off the thought with an eye-roll; they were friends of course and he would be by his side- but something about the way they both intently talked just as they opened the doors had startled her. She gave Tom a small smile and before she thought about it, with three long strides, she crossed the room and punched her cousin on his left arm -the only place he had no bandages around.

Taken aback, he hissed and looked at her almost offended.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" He asked her with a scoff but his face softened immediately. 

Aurora shot him a glare. "You almost died you arrogant fool!" She exclaimed and the rest of the boys circled around the bed, watching her explosion with amusement. "For what? A ball? A stupid game? Or your god complex over rubbing that snitch up to Potter's face? What if Dippet didn't slow you down just in time, huh? You would be as good as dead!"

She crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath. Just as Abraxas parted his lips to retort and educate her about the importance of Quidditch, she cut him off.

"Nevertheless, I can't say I am not proud. That must have been the catch of the century and you really showed that Gryffindor boy how a keeper should play like," she added with a warm smile and everyone chuckled -only Tom did look at her with an entertained glint in his onyx eyes- and the young Malfoy pouted confused.

"You confuse me too much, cousin. I think I'd rather sleep," he said with furrowed eyebrows and she rolled her eyes laughing.

As if on cue. the nurse appeared holding out a light blue vial. Knowing that soon she would kick all of them out, Elroy, Sebastian, and Ares started talking frantically to him, informing him about every minor detail that took place after he was ushered out of the pitch. Aurora leaned back against the edge of a bed, next to Abraxas's, and she felt someone's presence next to her.

Without taking her eyes off the scene, she spoke quietly.

"Sorry for leaving abruptly like that, by the way," she told him. "I thought that something more serious than a few broken bones happened to him," she said, not knowing why she was explaining herself to him. After all, he had witnessed it himself, hadn't he?

"No need to apologize," he murmured. "Dippet asked me to sent a letter to his father and I thought of asking you first to write it but it would take too much time to find you," he said and she nodded.

"Thank you."

" _Out_! All of you! He needs to rest. You will wake Potter and I will poison you myself if that happens," the nurse threatened them but they didn't falter.

But recognizing defeat, they all bid goodbye to the patient and walked down the hallway.

"It's a shame he won't be able to attend the party," Sebastian said out of the blue, making Aurora raise an eyebrow questioningly. 

"Party? What party?" She asked him and Ares cast her a mocking side glance.

"You thought that after today's game, there would be no celebratory party?" He cleared his throat and looked at Elroy. "I am sure that you two probably have _other_ ," he rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner, making both flush, "plans, but we would appreciate it if you helped to organize it. I have made a list of what we will be needing before I get attacked," he placed a hand over his chest defensively and Elroy scoffed with Sebastian.

"Let me tell you, something mate-" Rosier started saying but Ares paid him no attention.

"...obviously, we will need alcohol and in fact, lots of it-"

"- _have you left any?_ -" Sebastian cut in, but again the young Lestrange paid him no mind.

"...and food. Presumably, finger food. Someone must talk to the elves-"

"- does anyone even know how to get into the kitchens?-" Aurora chipped in, extracting a huff of agreement from the two boys, and she was met with a look of exasperation from the dark-haired one.

" That's easy to learn. Ask any Hufflepuff- in _fact_ ," he dragged the vowel in a dramatic manner, "why don't we invite some girls from Hufflepuff? I couldn't help but notice a few good-looking chicks," he said nonchalantly and his friends looked at each other nervously. 

"Sure," Sebastian agreed in a quiet voice and Lestrange went on. 

"Most importantly, we need permission from Slughorn," he said in a serious voice, as they went down the dungeons. "If I ask him, he will kick me out of his office," they all cringed as they remembered him setting the class on fire the day before which had landed him ban from Hogsmeade for the entire weekend, "but I think he wouldn't deny Rory -uh- or you Riddle," he cleared his throat and looked up, almost hesitantly to meet Tom's eyes.

Aurora- who had completely forgotten that he was also walking with them- also snapped her head in his direction. Tom momentarily clenched his jaw and fixed his eyes on the Lestrange heir. After a few moments of thinking, he slowly nodded and glanced at Aurora.

"I have something to ask him anyway," he said and Ares nodded. After that, there was an awkward silence hovering above them and Aurora broke it when she uttered the common room password. They walked inside and the Slytherins hanging out in the sitting room, started clapping and a few of them came circling around the players. 

With a quick kiss on Elroy's kiss, she disentangled from his grip and quickly made her way up to her room. She had yet another party to get ready for.

***

The dress hung just a few inches above her knees, the midnight blue material clinging to her waist tightly, giving her an outline of curves she didn't have. The neckline wasn't deep cut, but it still showed enough, and paired with her favorite pair of heels, she felt pretty. No, she felt _beautiful_ and she was glad that her mother wasn't here to criticize her about how simple the outfit looked.

In a moment of annoyance, she sprayed perfume on her neck and chest and debated between a pair of diamond earrings and a bracelet. In the end, ignoring both, she settled with silver rings on her fingers and a thin, white gold necklace with a sapphire heart that matched her dress's color. 

She could already hear the music as she descended the stairs and she stopped in the middle, looking at the scene.

She spotted a few Hufflepuffs indeed, along with a small group of Ravenclaws that were dancing enthusiastically with each other. A small smile curled on her lips and she tried to spot the rest of her friends when an arm wrapped around her waist, turning her around. Her smile widened at the sight of her boyfriend who lost no time in lowering his head and capturing her lips into a kiss. 

"You know," she murmured against his lips, "if you're planning onto attacking me like that in public, at least have the decency to get me a drink first," she said as her arms snaked around his neck, pulling him down.

He chuckled and tugged her gently towards a corner where dozens of bottles were placed. Her eyes widened slightly and she arched an eyebrow questioningly. Before words slipped out of her mouth he spoke.

"Ares went a little overboard," he said gesturing with a dramatic wave of his hands the bottles, "but Riddle was convincing enough for Slughron to let us drink all we want. What would you like, love?" He asked her and she pointed to a long bottle of firewhiskey. 

"Thank you," she mumbled as took a sip from her glass. The liquid burned down her throat as she gulped it but she didn't mind. He extended his hand for her and she took it. They sat on a couch, their thighs touching and she felt his hands on her waist once again. She leaned into his chest and placed her head on his shoulder.

He cleared his throat. "I know this isn't the place to talk about this, but the article-"

"Don't," she cut him off, her voice snappier than she had intended for it to come out. She pulled away from his and looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mean...just not now. It's a party- I just want to have fun," she told him more decisively and confidently than she felt and instantly stood up.

Reluctantly he nodded and she gulped down the remaining of her drink. Placing the glass on a table, she grabbed both of his hands and pulled him towards her.

After a while, she felt tipsy.

Yes, that was the word.

Not drunk, but she felt cloudy in her head and her limbs moved gracefully as she and Belle danced, both chuckling and whispering silly gossip in each other's ears every two seconds. Aurora brought her glass to her lips and sipped on the alcohol while her friend told her about the rumor that Jasmine Parkinson was probably engaged to James Nott. Her eyes flickered to where they were standing and from what she could see, they were looking at each other with hostility. Part of her felt bad for her. She could only imagine what it would feel like to be getting married to someone you loathed.

Out of instinct, she looked around for Ares and her eyes widened. He was intimately talking to a Hufflepuff girl, something he hadn't done after his father's letter.

"He shouldn't be doing this," she murmured to Belle's ear, making her look in his direction. "If word gets out and his father hears, he will be enraged."

Belle pursed her lips into a tight line and poured more alcohol into both's glasses. "Well, I certainly won't say anything. Will you?" She asked her and after a few seconds, they started laughing. "Where is that boy of yours?" She asked her and Aurora dragged both towards a tray of caviar canapés where she stuffed one in her mouth. 

"No idea," she blurted out in an irritated tone. "He has been weird these past few weeks," she admitted and tapped her nails against the glass.

Belle- who was also eating- quickly gulped down her bite. "He's probably going through some boyhood phase, or," she raised her index finger in the air, "he's panicking," she said with a satisfied smile and in a tone that suggested that she was an expert. Aurora scrunched her nose and looked at her questioningly.

"I am not a legilimens, B. Explain, please," she said with a sigh, and as the young Zabini opened her mouth to elaborate on her theory, someone cut both off.

"Ladies," Sebastian Avery smiled widely at both, his hands sliding around the girls' shoulders. "You," he told his friend, "I think Rosier is looking for you. He's somewhere near the painting of the Salazar," he said and turned his head to Belle, his eyes twinkling. "And you-"

"See you later," she cut him off and slipped from his hug, casting both a quick smile. As she walked off, she heard Belle snapping to him that she was already spoken for, which made her chuckle.

She quickly made her way towards the portrait and she, indeed, found Elroy leaning against the wall, a hazy smile slowly appearing on his face. "Hey," she said quietly and bit her lower lip, suddenly feeling awkward as if he were some stranger.

"Hi," he replied in an equally quiet voice and took a few steps forward. "I was looking for you," he said and she nodded.

"Seb told me so. So... everything's alright?" She asked hesitantly and he surprised her with a laugh. In seconds, the bizarre atmosphere was dissolved and he cupped her cheek with his hand, his thumb softly stroking her cheekbones.

"Of course. Is it that weird that I wanted a few moments alone with my girlfriend?" He asked, his voice laced with faux hurt and she rolled her eyes. 

"Considering that you have been ignoring me for weeks, I'd say so," she said, the alcohol she had consumed making her feel bold. His smile faltered and he blinked rapidly as if he were trying to understand what she was saying.

"What do you mean, love? I haven't been ignoring you," he furrowed his eyebrows and his hand fell from her face. Aurora huffed.

"You have been present physically," she said, placing her hand on his chest, "but this," her hand moved to his head and her fingers laced his hair, "you haven't been with me mentally." She took a step back and looked at him with irritation and hurt mixed in her jade-colored eyes. "Is it something that I have done?" She demanded and crossed her arms over her chest.

Elroy, whose lips had parted in confusion, composed himself and reached for her hand but she flinched away. "No, no. What are you talking about?" He cleared his throat upon seeing the look of disbelief Aurora gave him and he ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "Okay," he admitted. "I-yes. There is something going on but you did nothing wrong."

Her face softened and she leaned against the wall, looking at him with narrowed eyes- not of annoyance but of tiredness. "Look," she said and sighed. "Why don't you tell me then? Is it that bad?" She asked, not knowing what questions to pose as she had no idea what was going on.

His eyes studied her for a few moments before speaking. "No," he stopped talking and the corners of his lips tugged in a smile. "It's not bad at all. I am just a fool. A nervous fool," he whispered and took a step forward.

Aurora rolled her eyes and huffed. But her face was softer than her tone. "If you insist on being so cryptic, I am afraid that I won't be able to help you at all," she put her head on the wall and tilted it upwards so that she could have a better view of him. 

He shook his head. "Give me exactly a week. A week and I promise I will tell you," he said and took her face in his hands. His eyes burned and she would be stupid to ignore the honesty behind them.

At his hot touch, she felt her guards melt away and she nodded, closing her eyes as their lips met. Out of habit, her arm wrapped around his neck and he pulled her closer to his body, feeling every inch of him pressed against her. While his one hand was secured around her waist, his other traveled down the length of her exposed thigh, making her shiver.

His finger caressed the inside of the thigh, gently lifting her skirt slightly so that his hand could disappear inside of it. A soft sigh escaped her parted lips and she raised her leg to pull him even closer to her, giving him better access to explore. As his finger caressed her damp knickers, she briefly pulled away from his kiss, a suppressed moan climbing up her throat. Her fingers tightened around his hair and the front of his shirt, as his went under her underwear and he was so, so close to touching her _there_ -

" _Ahem_ ," a deep voice interrupted them in the most absurd moment.

In seconds, his hand fell from where they were, and she straightened her dress with cheeks flushed and embarrassment flowing in her blood like acid, at having been caught in such a compromising position. Elroy looked no better, with tangled hair and the front of his shirt wrinkled, at the spot she had curled the cloth...

"Riddle? What the fuck?" Elroy spat out annoyed and her eyes widened slightly at the name.

She looked up and saw Tom raising an eyebrow unimpressed by Rosier's language and he rolled his eyes bored at the scene in front of him.

"When you two are done... _harassing_ each other, Aurora remember that it's Friday and we have detention at the library. Merrythought won't excuse you because of a party," he said, his voice sounding grave, and turned on his heels to leave. Just before he walked out, he stopped and cocked his head in her direction. "I will be waiting for you near the entrance of the common room." His eyes fell on Elroy briefly. "Don't be late," and with that, he left the two alone.

Aurora turned her boyfriend and gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry, I completely forgot that I was supposed to go to the library," she said and her hands mechanically fixed her hair and smoothened her dress. 

"It's fine. He just took me by surprise," he sighed and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. She smiled at him and rose to her tiptoes, to give him one last kiss.

"I will see you later," she said mischievously and his eyes twinkled.

Before he could say something, she turned around and quickly run the stairs to her chambers. She grabbed her wand and a cloak and went downstairs. No one paid her attention when she grabbed an unopened bottle of firewhiskey and hid it inside her cloak. She slipped past the crowd of dancing students and stepped outside, into the cold corridors of the dungeons. 

As expected, Tom was standing in front of the door, his hands stuffed inside his pockets. Upon seeing her, his jaw clenched, and his eyebrow arched, as his eyes examined her outfit.

"If you were going to be late anyway, why not bother changing into something more appropriate?" He scoffed and she rolled her eyes, not in the mood to pick up a fight with him, having only reconciled with Tom earlier that day.

"I don't think Merrythought cares what I will be wearing when everyone in the castle knows that there is a party being thrown at the dungeons," she said and he exhaled in an exasperated manner.

She turned her head and looked at him like a hurt child. "Won't you at least compliment me, instead of sulking?" She suggested jokingly.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," he dismissed her. "Didn't Rosier flatter you enough?" She could picture him rolling his eyes at that statement, but he was walking too fast and she couldn't confirm it.

That snapped her out of her joking mood. "No," she mumbled with a sudden realization that he hadn't given a single compliment. It didn't matter of course but still, deep down she loved receiving them. In the end, who _didn't_ like compliments?

Tom stopped walking and turned around to face her. She instinctively took a step backwards and he tilted his head to the side, looking at her from head to toe. When his eyes met hers, a painfully slow smirk appeared on his lips. "In that case, you look exquisite darling."


End file.
